Syllabus for Biol 294H (APPLES), Fall 2016

Community Donations of the Cellular Components of Blood.

11:15AM-1:15PM Mondays

Wilson Building, room 213

Instructors: Jay Raval, MD

Blood Bank and Transfusion Medicine Service, UNC Hospitals

Assistant Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

1021 East Wing, Memorial Hospital, CB 7525

Alexis Peedin, MD

Blood Bank and Transfusion Medicine Fellow, UNC Hospitals

Service Partners Tom Neish

Supervisor of the UNC Hospitals Blood Donation Center

Bridgit Schmidt

Donor Recruiter for the UNC Hospitals Blood Donation Center

Textbook: no additional text required for the APPLES section. An introductory biology textbook is needed as reference. Readings will be posted on Sakai. Sakai will be heavily used by instructors and students.

What is Service Learning?

Service-learning is an instructional strategy throughout the length of the course in which the service component aligns with and enhances the course content. There is collaboration between the community partners, students, and faculty. The community needs are central to the course; the community partners are involved throughout the course in identifying and assessing their needs. Students, think, share and create reflective products as evidence of learning. Students have a minimum of 30 hours service requirement with the community partner.

Biol 294H Community Partner:

In this course, our community partner is the UNC Healthcare Blood Donation Center located in the NC Cancer Hospital. Class time will be spent with the organization representatives to learn the biology of blood donation (including donation of blood cells, stem cells and bone marrow) and how these blood products are used for the treatment of blood disorders and other medical conditions. In addition, class time will be spent actively developing, implementing and evaluating a social marketing plan with a goal of helping the Blood Donation Center to increase collection of blood products to meet the ever-increasing needs of patients at UNC Hospitals. Students provide a large base of donations, making the partnership between this community partner and UNC students critical.

More about the UNC Hospitals’ Blood Donation Center: http://www.uncmedicalcenter.org/uncmc/patients-visitors/blood/

Goals of the Course:

1.  To gain an understand of donor motivation through reading and donor recruitment efforts

·  Students will study what motivates donors and barriers stand between potential donors and their first blood donation. Reading will be provided about research on donor motivation and students will learn from their own experiences recruiting student donors about how to motivate potential donors. Students will write a reflection about their experiences. Community hours in holding drives and educational events.

2.  To describe: 1) the function of platelets, red blood cells, and bone marrow 2) why patients need platelets, red blood cells and marrow, 3) and what the donation process entails for platelets, red blood cells, and marrow.

·  Students will achieve these goals through readings/homeworks and community hours in the platelet donation center, and during community hours at blood drives and bone marrow drives.

3.  To synthesize a social marketing plan based upon the content learned from the previous goal.

·  What is social marketing? A commercial marketer looks for ways to convince customers to purchase a product. Similarly, a social marketer tries to influence the behavior of a target audience. The behavior in this case is to get to the platelet center at the hospital and donate!

4.  To implement and evaluate marketing plans.

·  Students will use the material they create in goal #3 and design their own service event using the material. By engaging with the public, the students become the educators, thereby reinforcing the content they have learned.

5.  To plan for the future.

·  Students will write a reflection that describes for future students and the platelet center where they left off on their understanding of community ideas. Students will make suggestions to future students and the platelet center based on their learning.


Course Objectives: At the end of the course you should be able to:

1.  Define service learning.

2.  Compare/contrast intrinsic vs extrinsic donors and their motivations.

3.  Describe the platelet donation process.

4.  Define the four P’s (price, place, product, promotion) for social marketing blood donation specifically.

5.  Distinguish the platelets and red blood cells function and cell biology. Explain how cell surface biology (HLA and ABO blood system) defines how donors and recipients are matched.

6.  Discuss differences between four major types of leukemia (ALL, AML, CLL, and CML) and the need for bone marrow donation.

7.  Describe the genetics of HLA haplotypes and the biology of bone marrow matching HLA markers.

8.  Describe the bone marrow donation process, distinguishing between apheresis and needle biopsy.

9.  Reflect on how your service affected your understanding of the biology of blood components and the need for donors.

Course Grading:

Note: you are graded on your academic contributions—not your service. Service plays into participation.

Reflection Papers: 20% of final grade

·  Reflection #1 due 10/17 (2 -3 pages double spaced): knowledge gained by interacting with the community and reading previous efforts

·  Reflection #2 due 11/28 (2 -3 pages double spaced): letter to future Biol 294 APPLES students reflecting on community success/progress and future plans for them to start from

Homework: 20% of final grade

·  Assignment 1: due 9/12

·  Assignment 2: due 9/26

·  Assignment 3: due 10/10

·  Assignment 4: due 11/7

Final Exam: 20% of final grade

·  Dec 13 at 12:00 Noon – Content focused on blood cell biology and donation procedures

Participation and Group projects: 40% of final grade

·  Attendance, effort, and quality of effort for class discussion, drives, and service


August 29

1.  Discussion:

a.  Overview of the course and the UNC Hospitals Blood Donation Center

b.  Lecture: Intro to blood donation

c.  Assign groups for the 3 group projects this semester

2.  Service: Email Tom Neish to arrange a tour of the donor center or to donate platelets

3.  Homework: Come up with slogan for the semester’s campaigns due class September 12. Assignment 1 due 9/12

September 5- Labor Day, no class

September 12: Homework 1 due

1.  Discussion:

  1. Lecture: Biology of blood

b.  Last semester’s marketing plan discussion

  1. Campaign slogan selection

2.  Service – Recruit a friend to donate at the Blood Donation Center with you (if you aren’t eligible or do not want to donate, please still accompany your friend through the donation process). Be ready to discuss your experience in class September 19.

3.  Homework – With your group, design your promotion materials due in class September 19.

September 19

1.  Discussion:

a.  Class discussion on recruiting a friend: What worked and what didn’t?

b.  Group presentations of marketing materials

2.  Service: Class/dorm/club presentation complete by Oct 3

3.  Homework: none (work on class/dorm/club presentation)

September 26: Homework 2 due

1.  Discussion: Lecture: Blood donation and Blood Banking

2.  Service: Marketing planning for Pit Sit as a class

3.  Homework: none (work on class/dorm/club presentation)

October 3:

1.  Discussion:

a.  Class discussion on presentation to class/dorm/club: what worked and what didn’t?

b.  Discuss last semester’s reflections

2.  Service: Marketing planning for Pit Sit as a class

3.  Homework: none

October 10: Homework 3 due

1.  Discussion:

2.  Service:

a.  Marketing Planning for Pit Sit

b.  Groups: planning for final project – Marketing Plan is Due Oct 17

3.  Homework: Reflection 1 due Oct 17

October 17: Refection 1 due

1.  Discussion: none

2.  Service: Pit Sit

3.  Homework: none

October 24

1.  Discussion: Debrief Pit Sit

2.  Service: Group time: Marketing plan for final project

3.  Homework: none

October 31

1.  Discussion: Lecture: Blood Cancers

2.  Service: Group time: Marketing plan for final project

3.  Homework: Assignment 4 due 11/7

November 7: Homework 4 due

1.  Discussion: Bone marrow and stem cell donation (review assignment 4)

2.  Service: Group time: Social Marketing plan for final project

3.  Homework: none

November 14

1.  Discussion:

2.  Service: Group time: Social Marketing plan for final project

3.  Homework: Reflection 2 due Nov 28

November 21

1.  Discussion- none

2.  Service: Class presentations

3.  Homework: Reflection 2 due Nov 28

November 28: Reflection 2 due

1.  Discussion: none

2.  Service: Class presentations

3.  Homework: none

December 5- Review for final exam

Dec 13 at 12:00 Noon – Final Exam