Online Multimedia Teaching Tool (OMTT) for Neurobiology

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This project is developing an interactive online multimedia teaching tool (OMTT) to be used by an interdisciplinary community of professors and students in undergraduate neurosciences, gerontology, psychology, bioengineering and biology courses, and with the intention of improving the understanding of complex science processes by a wide range of students. The objectives of the project are to: 1. enhance STEM learning for a group of diverse undergraduate science students by making course material easier to understand and more accessible, 2. demonstrate to students the connection that exists between basic science research and science education, and 3. improve recruitment and retention of students in the sciences by building a diverse scientific community and encouraging student interaction with faculty. The OMTT is expected to enhance learning by providing students with continuous online access to course material used in class by their professors. The interactive multimedia presentation of course content includes scrolling text, video, narration and computer animations, thus offering students self-paced access to varied and rich representations of the curriculum. Additionally, the OMTT educates students about ongoing research and recent scientific publications as they relate to class topics. For each topic, students can explore a written description of a professor's research laboratory, a short video illustrating how research is performed to address the issue taught in class, and examples of articles published by the professor. This feature is meant to improve student understanding of the connection between core subject material and the research that creates this knowledge base, and to facilitate student contact with professors in the field and identify research opportunities. The OMTT also includes on-line assessments that can be used by students and professors to gauge student learning, and are intended to enable early intervention for struggling students. Students have the opportunity to become digital scientists by completing digital laboratory exercises imbedded in learning exercises in the online multimedia-teaching tool. The OMTT is designed to be easily modified and adapted by faculty in other disciplines and at other institutions. Enhancement of the infrastructure and broad dissemination is occurring through multiple avenues, including those based at the University of Southern California and via the Internet.