EvoBeaker: Simulation software for teaching evolutionary biology

EvoBeaker：用于进化生物学教学的模拟软件

• 批准号: 0341202
• 负责人: Eli Meir
• 金额: $ 16万
• 依托单位: SimBiotic Software
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2004
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2004-07-01 至 2005-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0341202&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: EvoBeaker; Simulation; software; teaching; evolutionary

Biological Science (61). This CCLI Educational Materials Development proof-of-concept project addresses the need for students to better understand evolution. It does this by constructing and testing EvoBeaker, a prototype computer simulation program for teaching evolutionary biology at the undergraduate level. Because evolution takes place over extended periods of time and at spatial scales that are beyond everyday experience; and because hands-on experiments in evolutionary biology cannot be conducted within a typical classroom setting, many students have difficulty understanding the key concepts underlying evolutionary theory. The EvoBeaker software allows students to conduct inquiry-based experiments on simulated populations and communities, thus permitting them to explore how evolution works at various levels, from alleles to phylogenetic trees. This project evaluates the effectiveness of EvoBeaker in reducing common student misconceptions about key concepts in evolution. In particular, it explores whether EvoBeaker clarifies how natural selection works, and whether it helps students to understand the relationship between the different levels at which evolutionary change can be analyzed (i.e., at the level of the genome, the individual, the population, the phylogenetic tree).

生物科学(61)。这个CCLI教育材料开发概念验证项目满足了学生更好地理解进化的需要。它通过构建和测试EvoBeaker来做到这一点，EvoBeaker是一个用于在本科生水平上教授进化生物学的原型计算机模拟程序。由于进化是在超出日常经验的较长时间和空间尺度上发生的，而且进化生物学的动手实验不能在典型的课堂环境中进行，许多学生难以理解进化理论背后的关键概念。EvoBeaker软件允许学生在模拟的种群和社区上进行基于探究的实验，从而允许他们探索从等位基因到系统发育树等不同水平的进化是如何工作的。该项目评估了EvoBeaker在减少学生对进化中关键概念的常见误解方面的有效性。特别是，它探索了EvoBeaker是否澄清了自然选择是如何运作的，以及它是否有助于学生理解可以分析进化变化的不同水平之间的关系(即在基因组、个体、种群、系统发育树的水平上)。