RCN-UBE Incubator: ALIVE, a platform for facilitating Authentic Learning In Virtual tropical Environments

RCN-UBE 孵化器：ALIVE，一个促进虚拟热带环境中真实学习的平台

• 批准号: 1919640
• 负责人: Ann Russell
• 金额: $ 7.22万
• 依托单位: Iowa State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2019-08-01 至 2021-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1919640&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RCN; UBE; Incubator; ALIVE; platform

Tropical biomes play major roles in global water, carbon, and nutrient cycling and support a large proportion of the Earth's biodiversity. Despite their ecological importance, tropical ecosystems receive scant coverage in undergraduate biology textbooks and courses. Researchers in tropical ecology have developed a rich set of learning materials that could be adapted for the classroom, but a means for networking with undergraduate biology educators to disseminate these learning materials does not currently exist. The goals of this Incubator project are to 1) begin developing the Authentic Learning In Virtual tropical Environments (ALIVE) network by organizing and conducting a two-day workshop that brings together researchers in tropical ecology, educators, media specialists, and database engineers; and 2) write and submit a review/concept paper about authentic classroom-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) in tropical ecology. The long-term vision of the PIs is that the ALIVE network will develop a web-based platform to disseminate the tropical ecology learning materials it develops and that facilitates direct communication between students in the classroom and tropical field researchers.This Incubator project aims to enhance undergraduate biology by integrating two practices, the use of CUREs and internationalization of curricula. Although CUREs can address the challenge of providing students research-based experiences, their development is often beyond the reach of many faculty, especially for CUREs based on international research. There is thus a need for a platform that integrates research in tropical biology with best practices in pedagogy. New educational materials and a community that fosters communication between students, educators, and tropical field researchers will enhance student engagement in undergraduate courses and broaden cultural, ethnic, and geographic perspectives. Although study-abroad programs can introduce students to tropical biology, only a relatively small proportion of students can participate. Students from underrepresented and/or socioeconomically disadvantaged groups may be the least able to participate, thus widening the opportunity gap for these students. Incorporating authentic research in tropical ecology into classroom-based activities will level the playing field, enabling all students to gain experience in international research in the classroom.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

热带生物群落在全球水、碳和养分循环中发挥着重要作用，并支持着地球生物多样性的很大一部分。尽管热带生态系统具有重要的生态学意义，但在本科生物学教科书和课程中却很少有涉及。热带生态学的研究人员已经开发了一套丰富的学习材料，可以适用于课堂，但目前还没有一种方法可以与本科生物学教育者建立联系，传播这些学习材料。这个孵化器项目的目标是：1)通过组织和举办一个为期两天的研讨会，将热带生态学研究人员、教育工作者、媒体专家和数据库工程师聚集在一起，开始发展虚拟热带环境中的真实学习（ALIVE）网络；2)撰写并提交一篇关于热带生态学中真实的基于课堂的本科生研究经历（CUREs）的综述/概念论文。pi的长期愿景是，ALIVE网络将开发一个基于网络的平台，以传播它开发的热带生态学学习材料，并促进课堂上的学生与热带实地研究人员之间的直接交流。这个孵化器项目旨在通过整合两种实践，即cure的使用和课程的国际化来提高本科生物学的水平。尽管CUREs能够解决为学生提供基于研究的经验的挑战，但它们的发展往往超出了许多教师的能力范围，特别是基于国际研究的CUREs。因此，有必要建立一个平台，将热带生物学的研究与教育学的最佳实践结合起来。新的教育材料和促进学生、教育工作者和热带研究人员之间交流的社区将提高学生对本科课程的参与度，并拓宽文化、种族和地理视角。虽然海外留学项目可以向学生介绍热带生物学，但只有相对较小比例的学生可以参加。来自代表性不足和/或社会经济弱势群体的学生可能最无法参与，从而扩大了这些学生的机会差距。将热带生态学的真实研究纳入课堂活动将公平竞争，使所有学生都能在课堂上获得国际研究的经验。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。