RCN-UBE: VISABLI, an RCN-UBE for Visualizations, Interactive Simulations, and Animations for Biology Learning & Instruction

University Of California-Davis, Davis CA

Investigators

Abstract

Biological processes now underpin all aspects of society, from the use of DNA in the criminal justice system, to the role of personalized medicine designed to accommodate biochemical variation among individuals. Citizens, with and without higher educational backgrounds, are increasingly required to make impactful choices based on their understanding of biology. multimedia learning resources (illustrations, animations, interactive media) play an essential role in biology education and are a common feature not only in today's undergraduate science classrooms, but also in various informal learning settings (online/print news media and science museums for example). Instructors rely upon these visual learning resources for teaching and students seek them out in support of their studies. Despite the popularity of these resources, little is known about their efficacy in supporting learning in undergraduate biology. Indeed, the scientific accuracy, clarity, and quality of these resources can be highly variable. A primary goal of the VISABLI network is to address an acknowledged gap between the communities responsible for the design and evaluation of scientific visualizations and the teachers who use these materials in the classroom. We seek to connect these distinct disciplines into a network fostering the co-creation of new knowledge and sparking innovative research; these three largely independent communities share a common goal of improving the design efficacy of instructional visualizations. The network activities will focus on an in-depth needs assessment, followed by meetings bringing together members of these three communities to identify and develop shared resources, and will conclude with a VISABLI website to disseminate them. We will work with the biology scientific societies to organize a series of workshops during which activities like collaborative storyboarding will give instructors a better sense of the visualization process and an appreciation for the difficult intersection of visualization design and pedagogy. These activities will also help to identify areas of instruction that are not well served with existing curricula. This project is being jointly funded by the Directorate for Biological Sciences, Division of Biological Infrastructure, and the Directorate for Education and Human Resources, Division of Undergraduate Education as part of their efforts to address the challenges posed in Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action (http://visionandchange/finalreport/). 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.