Teaching Quantification Skills in the Biology and Mathematics Curricula

这个跨学科的项目将数学和生物学整合到斯威特布赖尔学院（SBC）的本科课程中。这项计划的总体目标是提高SBC学生使用生命科学应用程序的量化技能。量化技能被定义为观察一个不熟悉的问题，确定解决问题所需的数据类型，选择适当的数学工具，并对结果的充分性得出结论的能力。该计划的目标是：1。加强生物学学生的量化能力。让数学专业的学生了解数学知识的有用性和适用性，并强调生命科学领域的就业机会。向学生介绍跨学科研究，强调与来自不同领域的研究人员的合作。提高数学和生物学学生的整体口语和写作能力，特别强调跨学科的内容。这些目标是通过以下方式实现的：1)开发一门新的课程，“生物数学的量化技能”，重点关注数学在生物学中的应用；2)通过开发和实施现有课程中用作生物数学项目的额外教育模块来丰富数学和生物学课程。重点是常见数学工具的生物学应用，而不是潜在的数学理论。学生体验复杂的数学技术应用于生物学问题的有用性。模块改编自：1)现有的文本和程序；2)我们的研究结果，3)我们在弗吉尼亚大学生物数学技术中心的合作者的数据。

Interdisciplinary (99)This cross-disciplinary project integrates mathematics and biology in the undergraduate curriculum at Sweet Briar College (SBC). The overall goal of this initiative is to improve the quantification skills of SBC students using applications in the life sciences. Quantification skills are defined as the ability to look at an unfamiliar problem, determine the type of data necessary to address the problem, select the appropriate mathematical tools, and draw conclusions on the adequacy of the results. The objectives for the initiative are to:1. Strengthen the quantification skills of biology students.2. Expose mathematics students to the usefulness and applicability of mathematical knowledge and highlight career opportunities in the life sciences.3. Introduce students to interdisciplinary research, emphasizing collaboration with researchers from different fields.4. Improve the overall oral and writing skills of mathematics and biology students with specific emphasis on interdisciplinary content.These objectives are achieved by: 1) Developing a new course, Quantification Skills for Biomathematics, focusing on applications of mathematics to biology, and 2) Enriching the mathematics and biology curricula by developing and implementing additional educational modules that are used as biomathematical projects in existing courses. The focus is on the biological applications of common mathematical tools, rather than underlying mathematical theories. Students experience the usefulness of complex mathematical techniques as applied to biological problems.Modules are adapted from: 1) existing texts and programs; 2) results from our research, and 3) data from our collaborators at the Center for Biomathematical Technology at the University of Virginia.