A New Online Computational Biology Curriculum

A recent proliferation of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and other web-based educational resources has greatly increased the potential for effective self-study in many fields. This article introduces a catalog of several hundred free video courses of potential interest to those wishing to expand their knowledge of bioinformatics and computational biology. The courses are organized into eleven subject areas modeled on university departments and are accompanied by commentary and career advice.     

Biology Teaching in West Africa

Simulation games designed as training exercises have been used in a wide variety of fields. With the exception of medical education they have as yet been little used in teaching science. Lebemo is a game simulating research in bacterial genetics. The player has to manipulate data, interpret results, plan an overall strategy, and decide upon appropriate experimental protocols; a combination of features found in research and project work but rarely in traditional laboratory classes. In its present form Lebemo is self-instructional and takes a few hours to play. Lebemo and games like it might prove useful adjuncts to traditional laboratory classes and could perhaps replace more time-consuming project work.     

基于细胞生物学教学的科研创新人才培养模式探索

人才培养水平是评价高等教育质量的核心标准。细胞生物学作为教育部生物技术特色专业建设基础课程之一,在教学中我们从理论课程、基础实验课程和大学生创新课题研究等方面进行探索,旨在培养和训练大学生的创新能力。在理论课程教学中,作者尝试教学方法的创新,将教材中丰富的实验案例进行改编,注重对学生进行创新思维的培养和训练;在实验教学中,作者进行"小班化"实验教学模式的探索,注重实验过程每一个环节的质量监控,切实提高学生的实践动手能力;在此基础上,作者依靠多渠道的创新课题,对学生进行较为系统的科研训练。     

A Bibliography of Biology Teaching Method

A simple method is described for the construction of simple three-dimensional map models which are sufficiently robust and portable to be taken into the field. The method involves the sandwiching of portions of coloured maps between sheets of perspex of a thickness appropriate to the vertical exaggeration desired, and can be carried out by the students themselves.     

Teaching Size and Form in Biology

The relationship between the form and structure of plants and their gravitational environment is one of the most important teaching subjects of biological education. However, the teaching materials for the gravity effect have so long been concerned only with gravitropism, i.e. the short-time response of adjusting the orientation of seedling roots and coleoptiles axes against the direction of gravity. In this paper, we propose new teaching material that demonstrates the effect of gravity upon the shape, strength and habit of aerial plant axes and the relationship between them. By analysing the static compressive and bending force balances at any cross section of plant axes, we can understand that plants grow by adjusting their shape and hardness of material in order to support their bodies against gravity, according to their growth strategies. This teaching exercise may be useful in enabling undergraduate students to recognise the form and structure of plants' bodies in terms of biomechanical concepts and in leading them to a deep understanding of plant growth and development.     

Teaching Tree-Thinking to Undergraduate Biology Students

Evolution is the unifying principle of all biology, and understanding how evolutionary relationships are represented is critical for a complete understanding of evolution. Phylogenetic trees are the most conventional tool for displaying evolutionary relationships, and “tree-thinking” has been coined as a term to describe the ability to conceptualize evolutionary relationships. Students often lack tree-thinking skills, and developing those skills should be a priority of biology curricula. Many common student misconceptions have been described, and a successful instructor needs a suite of tools for correcting those misconceptions. I review the literature on teaching tree-thinking to undergraduate students and suggest how this material can be presented within an inquiry-based framework.     

细胞生物学实验教学改革探索

细胞生物学是当代生命科学的基础学科,也是发展迅猛的前沿学科之一。为了促进学生的实践动手能力和实践创新能力,配合细胞生物学理论课教学改革的不断深化,细胞生物学实验教学改革已是大势所趋。该教研组经过多年的探索,从教学体系、教学内容和教学手段等方面对细胞生物学实验教学进行了改革,旨在充分调动学生学习的主动性和积极性,培养学生的独立思考、综合运用知识和科研创新的能力。