Models of Classroom Assessment for Course-Based Research Experiences.

Course-based research pedagogy involves positioning students as contributors to authentic research projects as part of an engaging educational experience that promotes their learning and persistence in science. To develop a model for assessing and grading students engaged in this type of learning experience, the assessment aims and practices of a community of experienced course-based research instructors were collected and analyzed. This approach defines four aims of course-based research assessment - 1) Assessing Laboratory Work and Scientific Thinking; 2) Evaluating Mastery of Concepts, Quantitative Thinking and Skills; 3) Appraising Forms of Scientific Communication; and 4) Metacognition of Learning - along with a set of practices for each aim.

Complete Genome Sequences of Cluster A Mycobacteriophages Kenmech and Peterson and Cluster F Mycobacteriophage Rockne.

Kenmech, Peterson, and Rockne are bacteriophages that infect Mycobacterium smegmatis mc 155. Both Kenmech and Peterson genomes are ~52 kbp long and contain 1 tRNA as well as 92 and 89 protein-coding genes, respectively. Rockne has a 56,704-bp genome with 108 protein-coding genes and no tRNA.

Complete Genome Sequence of Cluster C Mycobacteriophage McGee.

Mycobacteriophage McGee is a myovirus isolated from a wet soil sample collected at Manassas, VA, using Mycobacterium smegmatis mc155. McGee has a genome 156,008 bp long, containing 237 protein-coding genes, 31 tRNA genes, and 1 transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA) gene. McGee shares high gene content similarity to phages in actinobacteriophage cluster C1.