Developing Bean Beetles as a Model System for Undergraduate Laboratories

生物科学(61)这个项目的目标是开发一种豆象甲虫，作为生态学、进化生物学和动物行为学方面基于探究的本科生实验室的模型系统。斑纹豆甲是现有的最易驯化、最健壮、最便宜的动物系统之一，但在研究实验室之外并没有被广泛使用。该项目团队正在设计和传播一本手册，旨在培养教师在本科实验室中使用豆甲虫的专业知识，并向教师提供具体建议，指导他们如何使用基于探究的教学法来实施学生主动学习的练习。此外，该项目团队正在设计、试点测试和传播五个以生态学、进化生物学和动物行为为基础的以豆甲为模型系统的探究性实验。Maculatus提供了一个独特的机会，可以将一个在研究界活跃使用的模型系统开发成一个易于适应的本科教学实验室模型系统。此外，为促进生态学、进化生物学和动物行为学的探究性实验室实验教学而开发的材料是拟议项目不可或缺的一部分。评估包括对学生学习内容和方法的几种不同衡量标准，以及教师参与者在适当的专业会议的研讨会上对开发的教师资源的评估。广泛的影响实验室实验的发展涉及受过研究方法培训的本科生助理。此外，参与实验开发和试点测试的大多数学生都在HBCU的莫尔豪斯学院，因此增加了在生态学、进化生物学和动物行为领域代表不足的少数族裔的参与。该项目编写的材料通过专门的网站(www.beanbeetles.org)传播，在讨论本科生STEM教育问题的年度会议上举办讲习班和演讲，并在本科生STEM教育界的期刊上发表。

Biological Sciences (61)The goal of this project is to develop a species of bruchid bean beetle as a model system for inquiry-based undergraduate laboratories in ecology, evolutionary biology, and animal behavior. The bruchid bean beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus, is among most tractable, robust and inexpensive animal systems available but is not widely used outside of research laboratories. The project team is designing and disseminating a handbook that develops faculty expertise in using bean beetles in undergraduate laboratories, with specific advice to faculty on how to implement the exercises for active student learning using inquiry-based pedagogies. Additionally, the project team is designing, pilot testing, and disseminating five inquiry-based experiments in ecology, evolutionary biology, and animal behavior that use bean beetles as a model system.Intellectual MeritC. maculatus provides a unique opportunity to take a model system that is actively used in the research community and develop it into a readily adaptable model system for teaching laboratories at the undergraduate level. In addition, the development of materials for promoting the teaching of inquiry-based laboratory experiments in ecology, evolutionary biology, and animal behavior is integral to the proposed project. Evaluation includes several different measurements of student learning of content and methodologies, and appraisal of the developed faculty resources by faculty participants at workshops at appropriate professional meetings.Broader ImpactsThe development of the laboratory experiments involves undergraduate student assistants who are trained in research methodology. In addition, the majority of the students involved in the development and pilot testing of the experiments are at Morehouse College, an HBCU, thus increasing the participation of underrepresented minorities in the areas of ecology, evolutionary biology, and animal behavior. The materials developed in this project are disseminated through a dedicated website (www.beanbeetles.org), workshops and presentations at annual meetings that address undergraduate STEM education issues, and publication in journals of the undergraduate STEM education community.