Computers as Biological Tools: The Incorporation of Computers into Introductory and Upper Level Biology Courses for Collecting, Analyzing and Presenting Data

该项目的主要目标是将计算机整合到生物学六门课程的实验室组成部分：无脊椎动物学、生态学、动物生理学、动物行为学、独立研究和高级研究。虽然作者以前已经将基于计算机的实验室练习纳入这些课程，但由于缺乏设备，学生积极参与这些实验室的能力受到严重限制。这个项目纠正了这个问题，为两组学生提供了一台带有支持软件和接口设备的计算机。通过这些课程的实验练习，学生们被介绍到计算机作为生物工具，可以用来收集和分析数据。这个介绍向他们展示了计算机的有用性，更重要的是，让学生在实验期间有更多的时间来思考结果，设计新的实验，并进行这些额外的实验。学生还使用计算机和软件程序进行在线文献检索，学习使用互联网和马赛克，并准备使用计算机显示投影仪口头报告他们的结果。这些计算机，连同新的生理设备，也可以用于高年级学生的高级研究项目。在这些课程的讲课部分，正在提供一台与头顶显示器相连的计算机，该系统可以作为电子黑板使用。这个项目向教师们展示了计算机是如何促进学习的，并鼓励他们将这些类型的学习经验结合到系里提供的两门更大的课程中，即普通生物学和人体解剖学和生理学。

The major thrust of this project is integrating computers into the laboratory components of six courses in biology: invertebrate zoology, ecology, animal physiology, animal behavior, independent study, and senior research. While the authors have previously incorporated computer-based laboratory exercises into these courses, the students have been severely limited in their ability to participate actively in these laboratories because of a lack of equipment. This project rectifies this problem by providing access to groups of two students to a computer with supporting software and interfacing devices. Through laboratory exercises in these courses, students are introduced to computers as biological tools that can be used to collect and analyze data. This introduction demonstrates the usefulness of computers to them, and more importantly, allows the students more time during laboratory sessions to think about the results, to design new experiments, and to perform these additional experiments. The students also use the computers and software programs to conduct on-line literature searches, to learn to use the Internet and Mosaic, and to prepare oral presentations of their results using a computer display projector. These computers, along with new physiological equipment, can also be used by upper-level students for their senior research projects. A computer linked to an overhead display unit is being made available for use in the lecture component of these courses, in which the system can function as an electronic blackboard. This project shows faculty members how computers can facilitate learning and encourages them incorporate these types of learning experience into two larger courses offered by the department, general biology and human anatomy and physiology.