Connecting Research Labs and Classrooms: A Role for Physical Modeling Projects in the Undergraduate Curriculum

连接研究实验室和教室：物理建模项目在本科课程中的作用

• 批准号: 1022793
• 负责人: Tim Herman
• 金额: $ 59.95万
• 依托单位: Milwaukee School of Engineering
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-08-15 至 2014-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1022793&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Connecting; Research; Labs; Classrooms; Role

This project broadens the current offerings of the Center for BioMolecular Modeling, a CCLI supported lending library of manipulable protein models with accompanying lesson plans, and is an interesting variation on the many ways to actively involve undergraduates with current research. The unique feature of this multifaceted molecular biology materials development project is that it involves teams of undergraduate students and research faculty in developing the materials and the learning modules that will accompany them. Educators from seven local undergraduate institutions identify a specific protein whose structure and function plays an important role in a course they teach. The Center for BioMolecular Modeling matches these educators and a small team of their students with a research lab that is investigating some aspect of the protein's structure/function. Each protein modeling team then interacts directly with the lab to learn about this area of research and create a physical model of the protein, using a 3D printing technology. The resulting physical model serves as the focal point of an ongoing instructional materials design effort, led by educators from each participating institution. The materials created include schematic illustrations of the protein within the cell (courtesy of David Goodsell), molecular animations showing the protein's role in a molecular process, use of interactive JMOL-based tutorials (JMOL is an open-source Java viewer for chemical structures in 3D) exploring in a computer environment additional aspects of the protein's structure, materials telling the story of how scientists discovered the facts presented, and other materials designed to engage students in intellectually challenging creative exercises. These instructional materials are being incorporated into the educators' classrooms and their impact is being evaluated based on changes in faculty classroom practice and in student understanding of facts, mastery of concepts, and interest in biology as a career.The intellectual merit of this project is that it responds to recent calls to transform undergraduate education into a more student-centered, active pedagogy in which students actively participate in authentic science practice and discourse. It recognizes the well-documented positive impact of an undergraduate research experience on students considering STEM careers and integrates this experience with an educator-led instructional materials development effort that translates recent results from the research laboratory into innovative instructional tools for the classroom.The broader impact of this proposal is that it explores the degree to which an authentic interaction between a group of undergraduates and a research lab can achieve the same benefits as a longer-term, immersive research experience offered to individual students. This approach serves the need to keep classroom materials student centered and current with advances in the science and helps the research lab realize the broader educational impacts of its work.This project is being co-funded by the Directorate for Biological Sciences.

该项目扩大了生物分子建模中心的当前产品，CCLI支持可操作蛋白质模型的贷款图书馆，并随附的课程计划是一种有趣的差异，这是一种积极参与当前研究的多种方式。这个多面分子生物学材料开发项目的独特特征是，它涉及本科生和研究教师团队，以开发伴随它们的材料和学习模块。来自七个当地本科机构的教育者确定了一种特定的蛋白质，其结构和功能在他们教的课程中起着重要作用。生物分子建模中心将这些教育者和一小部分学生与研究实验室相匹配，该研究实验室正在研究蛋白质的结构/功能的某些方面。然后，每个蛋白质建模团队都直接与实验室进行互动，以了解研究领域，并使用3D打印技术创建蛋白质的物理模型。由此产生的物理模型是由每个参与机构的教育工作者领导的持续教学材料设计工作的焦点。创建的材料包括细胞内蛋白质的示意图（由David Goodsell提供），分子动画，显示蛋白质在分子过程中的作用，使用基于互动Jmol的教程（JMOL是开放式Java Java查看器，用于3D中的化学结构），在计算机环境中探索了蛋白质的其他方面，该材料的其他方面探索了蛋白质的其他方面，该材料的其他方面是对蛋白质的其他方面的探索，该材料的其他方面是对蛋白质的其他方面的探索，该材料的其他方面是对蛋白质的其他方面的探索，该材料的其他方面是构造的，该材料的其他方面是构造的，该材料的其他方面是构造的，该材料的其他方面是，构造的其他方面，是构造的。在智力上具有挑战性的创造性练习中。这些教学材料正在纳入教育工作者的课堂及其影响，并根据教师课堂实践的变化以及学生对事实，对概念的掌握以及对生物学的兴趣的理解，作为职业的兴趣。该项目的智力优点在于，它对最新的呼吁做出反应，以对学生进行了更加注重学生的本科生的态度，以实践为生，从而在学生中进行了积极的练习。它认识到本科研究经验对考虑STEM职业的学生的据可查的积极影响，并将这种经验与教育工作者领导的教学材料的开发工作融为一体，将研究实验室的最新成果转化为课堂上的创新教学工具的最新结果。该建议的更广泛的影响。该提案的广泛影响是，它可以探索一组较长的研究，以探索一组实验的研究，使得较长的研究能够实现一组实验性的互动，而不是疏远的一组互动，而不是疏远的互动，而这一障碍的程度是，该互动的程度是造成的。给个别学生。这种方法有必要保持教室材料以学生为中心，并以科学的进步为中心，并帮助研究实验室实现其工作的更广泛的教育影响。该项目由生物科学局共同资助。