Virtual Biology Lab 2.0: improving and implementing an inquiry-based educational resource

虚拟生物学实验室2.0：改进和实施基于探究的教育资源

• 批准号: 1525103
• 负责人: Thomas Jones
• 金额: $ 29.94万
• 依托单位: East Tennessee State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-01-01 至 2018-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1525103&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Virtual; Biology; Lab; 2.0; improving

A growing body of evidence indicates that computer simulations can be particularly effective tools for developing a student's conceptual understanding of STEM topics and for engaging students in problem solving. The significance of this project is that it will provide an open, interactive, and biologically realistic environment around which faculty can design their own curriculum and can adopt various vehicles for delivering it (e.g. interactive lecture examples and in-class experiments, pre/post lab exercises, or full simulation-based lab exercises). The model themes of Virtual Biology Lab (VBL) directly address four of the important components of biology undergraduate education as highlighted in Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: two of the core concepts, evolution and biological systems and two of the core competencies, the ability to apply the process of science and the ability to use modeling and simulation when gathering data and analyzing biological processes. The VBL website, www.virtualbiologylab.org, developed under a previous NSF award currently hosts 20 simulation models of 'classic' experiments and concepts in ecology and evolutionary biology, all of which are free for use for educational purposes. The models promote inquiry by providing open environments in which students can manipulate parameters and observe the effects on simulated populations. The site averages over 2800 unique sessions per month, but existing models only run on PCs. This phase will expand accessibility to all web-platforms, and continue to provide free use of models. The developers will: 1) redevelop current and new models in HTML5 maintaining accessibility for the foreseeable future; 2) consult educators during model development maximizing their efficacy as learning tools; 3) robustly assess simulation models as learning tools; 4) create a professional website to host the models and facilitate a community of users; and, 5) raise awareness of the resource among biology faculty. The assessment of the learning experience will involve several hundred students from three institutions (a selective R1 university, a regional university, and a community college). The study will compare learning gains of students using the new and old interfaces. A matched pair design will be used to determine if a more modern game-like interface enhances, detracts from, or does not affect student learning. Answering this question is important because considerable time and effort in software development can be spent keeping up with the state of the art. In addition, this would add general data on the efficacy of simulation models as learning tools.This project is funded jointly by the Directorate for Biological Sciences, Division of Biological Infrastructure and the Directorate for Education and Human Resources, Division of Undergraduate Education in support of efforts to address the challenges posed in Vision and Change in Undergraduate Education: A Call to Action (http://visionandchange.org/files/2013/11/aaas-VISchange-web1113.pdf).

越来越多的证据表明，计算机模拟可以成为培养学生对 STEM 主题的概念性理解以及让学生参与解决问题的特别有效的工具。该项目的意义在于，它将提供一个开放、交互式和生物学真实的环境，教师可以围绕该环境设计自己的课程，并可以采用各种工具来交付课程（例如交互式讲座示例和课堂实验、实验前/实验后）练习，或基于模拟的完整实验室练习）。虚拟生物学实验室（VBL）的模型主题直接涉及生物学本科教育的四个重要组成部分，正如《本科生物学教育的愿景与变化》中所强调的那样：两个核心概念，进化和生物系统，以及两个核心能力，在收集数据和分析生物过程时应用科学过程的能力以及使用建模和模拟的能力。 VBL 网站 www.virtualbiologylab.org 是根据之前的 NSF 奖项开发的，目前拥有 20 个生态学和进化生物学“经典”实验和概念的模拟模型，所有这些模型均可免费用于教育目的。这些模型通过提供开放的环境来促进探究，学生可以在其中操纵参数并观察对模拟人群的影响。该网站平均每月有超过 2800 个独立会话，但现有模型仅在 PC 上运行。此阶段将扩大所有网络平台的可访问性，并继续提供模型的免费使用。开发人员将：1）重新开发 HTML5 中的当前模型和新模型，在可预见的未来保持可访问性； 2）在模型开发过程中咨询教育工作者，最大限度地发挥其作为学习工具的功效； 3）对作为学习工具的仿真模型进行稳健评估； 4）创建一个专业网站来托管模型并促进用户社区； 5) 提高生物学教师对资源的认识。学习体验评估将涉及来自三个机构（一所精选 R1 大学、一所地区大学和一所社区学院）的数百名学生。该研究将比较使用新旧界面的学生的学习收获。配对设计将用于确定更现代的游戏式界面是否增强、削弱或不影响学生的学习。回答这个问题很重要，因为在软件开发中可以花费大量的时间和精力来跟上最先进的技术。此外，这还将增加有关模拟模型作为学习工具的功效的一般数据。该项目由生物科学局生物基础设施司和教育和人力资源局本科教育司联合资助，以支持努力应对《本科教育愿景与变革：行动呼吁》(http://visionandchange.org/files/2013/11/aaas-VISchange-web1113.pdf) 中提出的挑战。