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

热带生物群在全球水、碳和养分循环中发挥着重要作用，并支持地球上很大比例的生物多样性。尽管热带生态系统具有重要的生态意义，但在本科生的生物学教科书和课程中却鲜有涉及。热带生态学的研究人员已经开发了一套丰富的学习材料，可以用于课堂教学，但目前还不存在与本科生生物学教育工作者建立网络来传播这些学习材料的方法。该孵化器项目的目标是：1)通过组织和举办为期两天的研讨会，让热带生态学的研究人员、教育工作者、媒体专家和数据库工程师齐聚一堂，开始发展虚拟热带环境中的真实学习(ALIVE)网络；以及2)撰写并提交一篇关于热带生态学本科生真实课堂研究经验(CURE)的审查/概念论文。PIS的长远愿景是，LIVE网络将开发一个基于网络的平台来传播其开发的热带生态学学习材料，并促进课堂上的学生和热带野外研究人员之间的直接交流。这项孵化器计划旨在通过整合使用治疗方法和课程国际化两种实践来提高本科生生物学水平。尽管CURE可以解决为学生提供基于研究的体验的挑战，但它们的发展往往超出了许多教师的能力范围，特别是对于基于国际研究的CURE。因此，需要一个平台，将热带生物学的研究与教育学的最佳做法结合起来。新的教育材料和促进学生、教育工作者和热带实地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。虽然出国留学项目可以向学生介绍热带生物学，但能够参与的学生比例相对较小。来自代表性不足和/或社会经济弱势群体的学生可能最不能参与，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融入课堂活动将为所有学生创造公平的环境，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NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.