RCN-UBE: Network for Integrating Bioinformatics into Life Sciences Education (NIBLSE)

该项目的长期目标是通过建立一个调查人员网络，阐明生物信息学在多大程度上以及如何最好地融入生命科学课程的共同愿景，将生物信息学确立为本科生生命科学教育的一个重要组成部分。这个RCN-UBE孵化器项目通过召集来自不同机构的教师参加为期两天的研讨会，探讨与实现长期目标有关的核心问题，促进了初步的联网工作。 在研讨会上，该小组的重点是如何最好地促进有效的沟通，并通过讨论当前的需求，资源和机会，在以下每个领域增加合作的机会：1）课程/教学法和评估，2）专业发展，和3）传播。 讲习班的预期成果包括一份关于将生物信息学纳入生命科学教育的资源和联网机会的在线清单，一份概述这一整合现状的白色文件，以及酌情提出一份完整的RCN-UBE提案，该提案确定了维持和扩大初始网络的管理和协调计划。管理和分析大型生物数据集，已经出现，以满足这些挑战，现在是一个重要的跨学科领域，是研究生物学的许多方面的核心。 该项目的智力价值在于需要将生物信息学概念融入本科生命科学教育，并为教师提供有效实现这一目标的资源和知识。该网络将对生命科学本科教育产生广泛影响，使全国教育工作者能够有效地将生物信息学知识和技能应用于教学和研究。为了确保发展中网络的多样性，指导委员会成员正在从各种积极开展生物信息学教育活动的组织中招募，包括小型私立文理学院，大型公立研究型大学和少数民族服务机构。该项目由生物科学局和教育和人力资源局共同资助，本科教育部支持努力解决本科教育的愿景和变革所带来的挑战：行动呼吁http://visionandchange.org/finalreport/。

The long-term goal of this project is to establish bioinformatics as an essential component of undergraduate life sciences education by creating a network of investigators to articulate a shared vision of the extent to which, and how best to, integrate bioinformatics into life sciences curricula. This RCN-UBE incubator project is facilitating initial networking efforts by convening faculty from a group of diverse institutions for a two-day workshop to explore core issues related to the accomplishment of the long-term goal. At the workshop, the group is focusing on how best to facilitate effective communication and enhance opportunities for collaboration by discussing current needs, resources, and opportunities in each of the following areas: 1) curriculum/pedagogy and assessment, 2) professional development, and 3) dissemination. Expected outcomes of the workshop include an online list of resources and networking opportunities related to the integration of bioinformatics into life sciences education, a white paper summarizing the current state of this integration, and, as appropriate, a full RCN-UBE proposal that defines management and coordination plans for sustaining and expanding the initial network.The field of bioinformatics, which uses techniques from computer science to store, manage, and analyze large biological data sets, has arisen to meet these challenges and is now an important interdisciplinary field that is central to studying many aspects of biology. The intellectual merit of this project rests on the need to integrate bioinformatics concepts into undergraduate life sciences education and to provide faculty with the resources and knowledge to effectively accomplish this. The network will have a broad impact on undergraduate education in the life sciences by enabling educators nationwide to effectively apply bioinformatics knowledge and skills to their teaching and research. To ensure diversity in the developing network, Steering Committee members are recruiting from a variety of organizations with active bioinformatics education initiatives, including small private liberal arts colleges, large public research universities, and minority serving institutions.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/.