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Jenessa Davies
Nancy Roche
Writing 1010-018
4 December 2014
The Life of a Biology Student: An Analysis of Literacy Practices
The objective of this research project is to discover, observe, and study literacy practices
within the community of my major field of study here at the University of Utah. Many of my
sources came from talking to other students who are currently in the field of biology, several
websites, including the Biology Department website located on the University of Utah website,
employees of the Campus store, Advisor Mr. Bloomquist. Because I am still exploring different
topics and I have not declared a major, I chose to research literacy in biology. Literacy practices
are the way a culture utilizes the written language (Barton and Hamilton, pg.7). Throughout
my research about literacy pertaining to the field of biology, I found that literacy practices are
reading, writing, and discussing to gain a deeper understanding of biology and to form a
common set of terms, ideas, and laws that bring the biology community together and allow
further progress in the exploration of science.
How I Nosed Around and Got My Sources
The inventory that I collected for my research includes several artifacts pertaining to
biology and an interview with a higher authority figure from that community. The artifacts used
during this process are a biology curriculum information guide, a Criminal Science exploration
pamphlet that was given to a friend of mine by a professor during in a biology class, and several
biology websites. The curriculum information guide directs students to courses they must take to
become a part of the Biology Department. The criminal science pamphlet lays out various work

opportunities that may be available to Biology students in the future if they go that route, and it
discusses what training is needed to become eligible for that field of work. The Biology websites
I reviewed were Undergraduate Biology Courses for Nonscientists: Toward a Lived
Curriculum and Biology Students as Experimental Subjects by F. Barbara Orlans, along with
several other similar websites. These websites provide good, basic information and advice for
new Biology students, and they gave me insight about how to format a good Biology article.
I Conclude!
In this report I will evaluate and explain different literacy practices in biology. I will also
explain how biology students use discourse and other universal literacy practices that are
applicable at the University of Utah and beyond and how these practices can have a lifelong
effect.
What Literacy Practice Do
Biology students at the University of Utah use various literacy practices. This means that
students in the Biology Department and other communities around the University rely on a very
selective range of textbooks, scientific journals, and websites that are specific to their field of
study. Every field of study has a specific way in which the main ideas are written, discussed, and
learned. This allows biology students to learn a common set of terms and to gain a common
understanding of biology. Common terms and ideas are what build communities and break down
barriers between cultures and societies.
Where Does It All Come From?
Biology students at the University of Utah gain specialized knowledge through very
specific literacy practices. The department website is one of the first things that new Biology
students encounter at the University. Although it is written in a transparent form so all may

understand it, this website is one of the first ways that a new student is introduced to the
language of Biology. Standard pamphlets and flyers are handed out in the beginning of each new
semester to inform students of opportunities to become involved in Biology and other science
activities held around campus. For example, the Criminal Science pamphlet and curriculum
information guide were handed to students to inform them of career requirements and
opportunities. Students are required to read standard textbooks from the University of Utah
Bookstore such as Brock Biology of Microorganisms by Madigan and Human Biology by
Stinson. University advisors make sure that students complete a standard set of courses. Certain
courses are required for a student to advance through and achieve their goal of becoming a
biologist. All of these practices are intended to guide students to a common understanding of
Biology and to build a new member of the biology community.
Of all literacy devises, standard textbooks are one of the main ways Biology students
utilize written language. They are used inside and outside of the classroom, and they are the
subject of classroom discussions. Textbooks teach students how to communicate universally.
Biology professors strongly use a collaborative method when teaching students. Robin Wright
stated that I purposefully include such activities in order to offer a richer, more valuable
learning experience (Wright, para.2). He also prefers this method because it allows students to
"live the curriculum, see beyond the facts, and learn to apply scientific knowledge to relevant
problems (Wright, para. 2). Exceptional professors dont want to teach in such a way that they
only provide the information students need to pass their final exams. Wright explains that
professors want students to benefit from their academic courses and to be able to apply their
knowledge to real world situations. Reading is also an essential part of literacy practices of the

Biology Department, and that is why textbooks are carefully selected to provide a pure education
to the students.
A Power Trip
Literacy practices in the field of biology are regulated by higher educational
administrators, professors, and the library on campus. Students are guided to utilize select
sources of information that have been chosen by professors, for example the textbooks I
mentioned earlier in the paper. Professors select educational materials that are approved by their
department and peers. Some professors prefer textbooks, while others prefer to use collections of
individual scholarly papers, such as The Offspring as a Worldwide Sentinel Species or
Environmental Monitory by Doctor R.A Grove, which was recently read by a current biology
student. The materials that students use are limited by the professors focus and what is available
in the library and online. Some information is not able to be found because the school dictates
what is allowed on the shelves, in pamphlets, and class texts. The complex system of what is
available to Biology students isnt just for a power trip, but is very important to the structure of
the program.
A Foreign Language: The Importance of Communication
Literacy practices play a huge roll in how people communicate within a community and
within society. In the field of biology at the University of Utah, students use various literacy
tools such as books, lectures, the Internet, handouts, and face-to-face discussions and
collaboration. These are important literacy practices because students utilize the knowledge they
learn from texts to have a class discussion or participate in a class activity, and eventually master
the discourse well enough to use in the workforce. Many students struggle with the idea of
finding and being comfortable in a major. But by using literacy tools, students can find different

ways to practice their knowledge and discourse. In class and out of class discussions allow
students to practice their discourse, which helps them become more comfortable and involved in
the community. Talking to advisors and using other resources helps students understand that
there are many different discourses and literacy practices that they will have to become familiar.
It also lets them know that it is okay to come into a certain community not knowing anything
about the discourse or literacy involved. All the student needs to do is be willing to learn.
If You Dont Think Biology Is Important, Youre Crazy
The significances of biology is that the knowledge gained from being a part of the field
permeates to all aspects of life. For biology students most of this lifelong knowledge is the
discourse they learn from the literacy they use throughout their education. According to Googles
definition discourses are a written or spoken communication. For example medical
terminology is a type of language in its self. Only a certain group of people who understand it,
can use it to communicate with others in that same community. Mastering this discourse allows
students in a scientific-based discourse, to utilize that discourse throughout their lives, for
example, in various jobs like Biomedical Researcher or Protozoologist. Wright states that
science has value beyond the practice of science (Wright para.2), meaning that science is in
everything around us, and is behind the creation of our world. This is one reason that the
University strives to keep producing more biologists. The literacy practices used in Biology carry
over into all scientific careers. Science has a very unique and specific language that is used
universally. Students are taking on the task of learning a foreign language when they choose
biology as a major. It is important to be aware of the community opportunities that are available
to each student that can help them become successful.

The Overall View

Literacy practices are a large part of every community. They affect how people
communicate with each other, and how they create a power structure. The University of Utah
Biology Department uses standard literacy practices, such as Biology of Microorganisms by
Madigan that have been managed and maintained for many years. Online and printed texts invite
conversations with professors and advisors. This established discourse builds successful
graduates who become part of the biology community. Literacy practices bring communities
together and make future progress in science possible.

Works Cited
Barton, David, Mary Hamilton, and Roz Ivanic. Literacy Practices. Situated Literacies: Reading
and Writing in Context. Ed. Barton, Hamilton, and Ivanic. Londan: Routledge, 2000. 715. Print.
The Department of Biology: The University of Utah. The University of Utah, n.d. Web. 2010.
<http://www.biology.utah.edu/>.
Orlans, F. Barbara. "Biology Students as Experimental Subjects." JSTOR: The American Biology
Teacher. Journals and Digital Publishing, Oct. 1997. Web. 4 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/4444885?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searc
hText=biology&searchText=students&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQue
ry%3Dbiology%2Bstudents%26amp%3Bprq%3Dbiology%26amp%3Bwc%3Don%26a
mp%3Bfc%3Doff%26amp%3Bso%3Drel%26amp%3Bacc%3Don%26amp%3Bhp%3D2
5>.
Wright, Robert L. "Points of View: Content versus Process: Is This a Fair Choice?" National
Center for Biotechnical Information. U.S National Library of Medicine, Aug. 2005. Web.
4 Dec. 2014. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1201698/>.