Engaging Undergraduates in On-Line Inquiry Learning: A Case-Based CyberLibrary in Human Biology

Hampshire College, Amherst MA

Investigators

Abstract

This project addresses the need to engage introductory biology students and future teachers in critical thinking and problem solving. The work fosters active learning and provides inquiry-oriented biology materials that make learning biology exciting and relevant for all students. The products include 1) The Human Biology Case CyberLibrary, a powerful suite of medical case studies for undergraduates; and 2) a set of software tools to support student inquiry. Medical cases are adapted from cases developed for medical education, including some from Harvard Medical School. Based on prior funding from the CCLI program and the Department of Education we developed infrastructure software, inquiry tools and one human biology case. The current project is developing several additional cases and testing the effectiveness of the product and tools on student learning. We are examining how well the material supports inquiry learning and evaluating usability and changes in student attitudes towards scientific reasoning. This material is being tagged for the National Science Digital Library (NSDL) and submitted to and reviewed by BioQUEST. Intellectual merit: The work pushes the state of the art in the use of artificial intelligence, interactive multimedia, and web-based technology in biology education. Broader impact: The results have the potential to impact publishers, universities, for-profit companies, and individual authors who develop non-print educational materials.