Biotechnology Program Takes Lab and Project Approach to its Lessons
Posted by Jason White on Thursday, April 17, 2014
Under: College Education
Two ways to judge the validity of a college program are by student
satisfaction indicators and by the accreditations it holds. The first
proves that past students have found the offering beneficial. The
second, meanwhile, shows that the industry respects the type of learning
that it offers to students, supports program quality and provides
mobility for graduates.
Centennial College's Biotechnology college
program is a repeat recipient of the Centennial College President's
Academic Program Recognition Award for outstanding student satisfaction.
Additionally, it has met the national technology accreditation
requirements established by the Canadian Council of Technicians and
Technologists (CCTT) and, as such, has received national accreditation
status by the Canadian Technology Accreditation Board (CTAB). Lastly,
the Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and
Technologists (OACETT) recognizes the Biotechnology program as meeting
all the academic requirements for certification in the Technician
category. As such, graduates may apply for certification through the
OACETT to use the professional Certified Technician designation.
The curriculum takes two years to complete and consists of practical
learning that sees students apply everything they learn in their
theoretical courses into labs to prepare for careers as bench
technicians (in quality control and quality assurance) in the food,
pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Due to the range of industry
options available to them, students must learn a number of topics. The
offering covers industrial microbiology as well as chemistry
(analytical), organic and biochemistry.
Meanwhile, lab work includes appropriate safety procedures in carrying
out: aseptic material handling, preparing specimen for staining,
preparing microbiological media and reagents and culture pathogenic
microbes, using microorganisms to examine pharmaceutical products;
isolating, enumerating and identifying microorganisms from various types
of samples; accurately regulating and using instruments that include pH
and BOD meters, Gas Chromatographs, spectrophotometers (regular/IR/UV),
HPLC's etc; and designing and performing personalized microbiology
experiments.
Performing personalized experiments compliments the Biotechnology technician
program's project approach, which employs independently designed
microbiology projects that enhance problem solving and research skills.
During the first of the two major Project courses, students learn to
locate, collect and interpret scientific information for the purpose of
designing laboratory procedures. Students work individually under the
supervision of an experienced professor in a lab setting to perform the
laboratory procedures and record the results.
The project offers opportunities to consolidate the skills and
techniques learned in first year Microbiology courses. Students use word
processing and spreadsheet programs to record and interpret their data,
and to write formal reports. The second Project course, meanwhile, sees
students choose a project topic, gather information through literature
search, select a protocol and perform a microbiology experiment of six
weeks duration. Students submit several written reports as well as a
final project thesis upon conclusion of the laboratory component.
In : College Education
Tags: biotechnology technician biotechnology college