Collaborative Research: Modeling from Molecules to Moose: Teaching Students to Develop Agent-Based Simulations in Biology

在这个合作项目中，伍斯特理工学院和波士顿马萨诸塞大学联手为本科生提供生物计算建模、模拟和系统方法方面的经验。使用麻省理工学院开发的StarLogoTNG软件，学生可以代表从分子到细胞甚至生物体的各种生物组织。他们可以定义预期的规则来管理指定代理的行为，并将模拟的行为与实验观察到的行为进行比较。拟合的贴近度评估了规则定义的准确性。通过假设检验和模拟的逐次细化，揭示了其中的重要规律。这种动手的、以团队项目为导向的方法不仅让学生沉浸在参与学习中，还提供了对数学和计算建模在理解生物学方面的价值的欣赏。正在进行的评估衡量这些策略在影响小型私立科技机构和大型公立大学学生学习方面的成功程度。预计会有广泛的传播。

In this collaborative project Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the University of Massachusetts at Boston are joining forces to provide undergraduate students with experience in computational modeling, simulation, and systems approaches to biology. Using StarLogoTNG software, developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, students can represent various levels of biological organization from molecules to cells or even organisms. They can define the rules anticipated to govern the behavior of the designated agents and compare the simulated behavior to that observed experimentally. The closeness of fit estimates the accuracy of the definition of the rules. Through hypothesis testing and successive refinement of the simulation, the important rules are revealed. This hands-on, team-project-oriented approach not only immerses students in engaging learning but also provides an appreciation for the value of mathematics and computational modeling in understanding biology. Ongoing evaluation measures how successful these strategies are at influencing student learning in both a small, private, technological institution and a large public university. Widespread dissemination is anticipated.