Long Term Trans-disciplinary Project-Based Instruction in Biology and Physics

这个新颖的项目正在生物专业的多门生物学课程与普通物理课程之间建立牢固的联系。该项目的各个方面包括创建几个大规模的、开放式的、基于项目的调查，在不同的课程中多次重温物理和生物概念。这些研究正在将生物学与物理课程相互结合，使生物专业的学生能够将他们的课程视为一个统一的整体。此外，该项目正在提供量化的结果，包括(I)标准纪律措施的表现，(Ii)对必修课的态度，(Iii)对物理和生物的综合理解，以及(Iv)课程和学科之间的知识转移。该项目正在实施课程改革，其中包括可持续性和传播。这一提议的学术价值源于教育学改革，将不同部门的独立课程集合变成一个统一的整体。这一转变是以一种新颖的方式实现的，方法是利用真实和引人入胜的现象，在很长一段时间内明确发展专家技能。该项目产生的更广泛影响包括改善对非洲裔妇女的STEM培训，因为斯佩尔曼学院是一所历史悠久的黑人女子学院。此外，该项目通过将学习科学和物理教育研究的研究线索编织在一起，为本科教育的范式转变做出了贡献。已制定计划，通过生物学和物理教育期刊以及更广泛的教育研究界的会议和出版物传播项目成果。

This novel project is developing robust links between multiple courses in biology to the general physics for biology majors' course. Aspects of this project include creating several large scale, open ended, project-based investigations that revisit physical and biological concepts multiple times in different courses. These investigations are integrating biology into physics courses and vice versa, enabling biology majors to see their curriculum as a unified whole. Furthermore, this project is providing measureable outcomes quantifying (i) performance on standard disciplinary measures, (ii) attitudes toward required courses, (iii) understanding physics and biology in an integrated manner, and (iv) transfer of knowledge between courses and disciplines. The project is implementing course reform that includes sustainability and dissemination. The intellectual merit of this proposal stems from a reform of pedagogy, which turns a collection of independent courses in different departments into a unified whole. This transformation is being accomplished in a novel way by explicitly developing expert skills over an extended period of time using real and engaging phenomena. Broader Impacts resulting from this project include improved STEM training for women of African descent because Spelman College is an historically black women's college. Further, this project is contributing to a paradigm shift in undergraduate education by weaving together strands of research in Learning Sciences and Physics Education Research. Plans are in place for dissemination of project outcomes via conferences and publications in both biology and physics education journals as well as in the broader education research community.