Active LENS: Learning Evolution and the Nature of Science using Evolution in Action

最近的科学教育改革努力（本科教育的愿景与变革：行动呼吁，AP生物学框架和下一代科学标准[http://www.nextgenscience.org/]]）强调了进化作为科学课程和理解生命过程的主要统一主题的重要性。他们进一步确定以探究为基础的实验室经验是帮助学生更好地理解进化的关键，并强调需要对照研究来测试这种干预。让学生参与进化过程实验研究的一个主要障碍是，进化过程很难或不可能在课堂上演示。目前的努力依赖于模拟，测试假设和了解科学是如何实践的机会有限。该项目通过持续开发和测试Avida-ED来直接解决这些挑战，Avida-ED是一种教育软件工具，源自科学家用于研究生物/计算进化的实验数字工具。它最初是在NSF CCLI奖（031484）下开发的。计划中的活动将通过全国系列研讨会提供深入的教师发展，并扩大正在进行的关于这种方法在学习进化和科学本质方面的有效性的全国研究。Avida-ED让学生观察和操纵自我复制的群体，当他们积极进化时，自主的数字生物。它建立在一个经过验证的实验进化研究平台之上，因此学生可以在科学家使用的相同建模系统中进行实验来测试他们自己产生的进化假设。正在进行的国家课堂研究的证据表明，能够在这个数字环境中直接观察行动中的进化具有独特的价值。初步研究表明，Avida-ED在(i)克服关于进化机制的常见误解和（ii）提高对进化科学的接受度方面是有效的。本研究更详细地探讨了这些问题，包括使用数字进化模型时主动学习的认知和非认知因素。这些构成了进化论教育的第一批准实验课堂研究。计划的其他活动包括一系列国家讲习班，为150多名教师提供使用Avida-ED的专业发展。该项目由生物科学理事会和本科教育司教育和人力资源理事会共同资助，以支持应对《本科教育的愿景和变革：行动呼吁http://visionandchange.org/finalreport/》中提出的挑战

Recent science education reform efforts (Vision and Change in Undergraduate Education: A Call to Action, the AP Biology Frameworks and the Next Generation Science Standards [http://www.nextgenscience.org/]) emphasize the importance of evolution as a major unifying theme in the science curriculum and in understanding life processes. They further identify inquiry-based laboratory experiences as key to helping students gain a better understanding of evolution and highlight the need for controlled studies to test such interventions. A major impediment in involving students in the experimental study of evolutionary processes is that the evolutionary process is difficult or impossible to demonstrate in the classroom. Current efforts rely on simulations with limited opportunities to test hypotheses and to learn how science is practiced. This project specifically and directly addresses these challenges through ongoing development and testing of Avida-ED, an educational software tool derived from an experimental digital tool used by scientists to study bio/computational evolution. It was first developed under an NSF CCLI award (031484). Activities planned will provide in-depth faculty development through a national series of workshops, and an expansion of an ongoing national study of the effectiveness of this approach for learning about evolution and the nature of science. Avida-ED engages students in observation and manipulation of populations of self-replicating, autonomous digital organisms while they are actively evolving. It is built on top of a proven experimental evolution research platform, so students can perform experiments to test evolutionary hypotheses that they generate on their own in the same modeling system used by scientists. Evidence from on-going national classroom studies indicates the unique value of being able to directly observe evolution in action in this digital environment. Pilot studies show that Avida-ED is effective in (i) overcoming common misconceptions about evolutionary mechanisms and (ii) increasing acceptance of evolutionary science. This study examines these issues in more detail, including cognitive and non-cognitive elements of active learning when using digital evolution models. These constitute some of the first quasi-experimental classroom studies in evolution education. Other activities planned include a series of national workshops to provide profession development in the use of Avida-ED to over 150 facultyThis 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/