Meta!Blast: An Immersive Interactive Learning Module for Cell Biology

描述(由申请者提供)：本项目的主要假设是互动的、动态的学习环境可以促进学生学习复杂的生物学概念。为了解决这一假设，我们将开发Meta！BLAST，这是一个关于细胞生物学的互动模块。学生们将沉浸在一个三维的、生物学上准确的植物细胞中。个别的生物学概念将被解析成学生任务，同时将这些任务放在整个环境的背景下进行。Meta！BLAST将把复杂的模拟技术与准确的生物信息结合起来，让学生探索细胞并与之互动，并在这个过程中发现细胞能量、基因功能、细胞对病原体的防御以及分隔的后果。改变环境尺度的能力可以让学生不仅意识到细胞中的个别部分和过程，而且知道它们如何协同工作，使整体发挥作用。我们的目标是： 目标1.在Meta！BLAST交互模块的上下文中扩展教育内容。 目标2.整合角色、音乐、情节和内置评估组件，以增强学习体验和提高学生参与度。 目标3和4.执行Meta！BLAST的迭代形成性和终结性测试，以增强最终产品并充分评估我们的假设。 Meta！BLAST开发的基本原则和内容基于美国国家科学院生命科学学院9-12年级的内容标准。通过对话、互动体验和内置评估精心搭建科学内容的脚手架，将增加体验的复杂性，并要求学生使用以前的信息来成功应对新的挑战。模块内评估工具将使教师能够监控学生的进步。随着Meta！BLAST的开发，它将接受由学生及其教师组成的目标受众的外部形成性和终结性评估。目标受众将来自拥有农村人口的爱荷华州和新墨西哥州，新墨西哥州的代表不足群体比例很高。这些评估的结果将与Meta！BLAST开发人员讨论，并用于推动模块的更改。 该项目将创建一个交互式软件模块Meta！BLAST，它包含生物上精确的3D细胞部件和分子，并与情节和人物相结合。该应用程序将动态地说明细胞和代谢生物学的现代概念，使学生为他们的公共角色做好准备，并刺激学生加入生物和医学教学和研究专业。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The overarching hypothesis of this project is that interactive, dynamic learning environments can facilitate student learning of complex biological concepts. To address this hypothesis, we will develop Meta!Blast, an interactive module on cell biology. Students will be immersed in a three-dimensional, biologically accurate plant cell. Individual biological concepts will be parsed into student tasks, while keeping these tasks in the context of the whole environment. Meta!Blast will combine sophisticated simulation technology with accurate biological information, to allow students to explore and interact with a cell and during this process to discover cellular energetics, gene function, cellular defenses against pathogens, and the consequences of compartmentation. The ability to change environmental scales can make the student aware of not only the individual parts and processes in the cell but how they work together to allow the whole to function. Our aims are: Aim 1. Expand the educational content in the context of the Meta!Blast interactive module. Aim 2. Integrate characters, music, plot, and built-in assessment components to enhance the learning experience and improve student engagement. Aims 3 and 4. Perform iterative formative and summative testing of Meta!Blast to enhance the final product and fully assess our hypothesis. The fundamental principles and content underlying Meta!Blast development are based on the Content Standards of the National Academy of Sciences for life science, grades 9-12. Careful scaffolding of science content through the use of dialogue, interactive experiences, and built-in assessments, will increase the complexity of the experience, and require students to use previous information to succeed at new challenges. In-module assessment tools will enable teachers to monitor student progress.As Meta!Blast is developed, it will be subjected to external formative and summative evaluations by target audiences consisting of students and their teachers. Target audiences will be drawn from Iowa, with its rural population, and from New Mexico, which has a high proportion of underrepresented groups. The results of these evaluations will be discussed with Meta!Blast developers, and used to drive changes in the module. This project will create an interactive software module, Meta!Blast, containing biologically accurate 3D cell parts and molecules, integrated with a plot and characters. The application will dynamically illustrate modern concepts in cell and metabolic biology, prepare students for their public role, and stimulate students to join the biological and medical teaching and research professions.