An innovative computational modeling intervention to facilitate learning of biology in university courses using simulation and dynamical systems approaches

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Sustaining the innovation that leads to economic and social progress in this country will depend on the capacity of all citizens to acquire 21st century problem solving skills. A Bureau of Labor Statistics report indicates that over half of the thirty fastest growing careers in this nation require familiarity with the life sciences; a discipline that is rapidly shifting to a more systems-level, large database driven approach to understanding ourselves and the world we live in. This proposal is a collaborative effort between life sciences educators and computational biologists from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to develop innovative methods to meet the challenges posed by this new approach within the life sciences. This project has the potential to significantly transform the learning of biology by providing a complete learning environment that enables students to learn by constructing, simulating, analyzing, and interrogating the dynamic and systems properties of living organisms. It was developed in direct response to Vision and Change: a Call to Action in Undergraduate Biology Education, a document produced by The American Association for the Advancement of Science, based on the findings of a large number of biologists. That document emphasizes the importance of systems thinking, learning about the dynamics of biology, and integration of computer simulations into undergraduate biology education. The long-term goal of this project is to transform the way biology students learn about complex living systems. The project will develop, implement, and evaluate computational modeling as a unique and user-friendly pedagogical aid. It uses the Cell Collective, a web-based computer simulation platform that has been successfully applied in computational biology research, as a pedagogical tool to facilitate learning about complex biological processes in a broad set of university life sciences courses. The technology has been successfully piloted as an educational tool in immunology and microbiology courses and has been included as part of an inquiry-based cancer biology textbook. The educational research proposed in this application aims to extend this platform, and develop a comprehensive and easily accessible learning environment that will provide university students and instructors with computer models and learning content for topics taught in both introductory and specialized biology courses. It will enable students to learn about the dynamics of living systems in real-time through interactive simulations, while providing instant feedback with simulation and assessment results. In addition, the web-based nature of the resource will enable students and their teachers to participate in collaborative learning activities on both a local and global scale. Developed resources will be made available to researchers and teachers interested in incorporating this approach into their own learning technologies and methodologies. A design-based research and development approach is being used to learn about how student conceptual change can be supported by this intervention. Quantitative data from the students' conceptual models and biology evaluation assessment and qualitative data from exploratory interviews aimed at perceptions of difficulty, language barriers, and areas of greater clarification will be analyzed to refine the software technology.This project is funded jointly by the Directorate for Biological Sciences and the Directorate of Education and Human Resources, Division of Undergraduate Education in support of efforts to address the challenges posed in Vision and Change in Undergraduate Education: A Call to Action http://visionandchange.org/finalreport/