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 hen students at the University of
California-San Diego (UCSD) take the laboratory course "Biochemical
Techniques," they confront a stark juxtaposition of the old and the
new. In one room is a conventional wet lab filled with glassware, exhaust
hoods, and emergency showers. In a nearby room is an array of computers
running a sophisticated program called the Interactive Lab Manual (ILM).
The information being conveyed in the two rooms is similar. But the combination
of the real and the virtual produces a powerful learning experience that
illustrates how new computer technologies are enhancing undergraduate biology
education nationwide.
The course web shown at the top of this page is the point of entry for the Interactive Lab Manual. Students can click on calculation modules (center of diagram) to learn quantitative principles. Technique modules (top half of oval) demonstrate procedures such as spectrophotometry and chromatography. Experiment modules (bottom half of oval) simulate wet lab exercises. Clicking on any part of the course web reveals the connections between modules (yellow lines). The ILM gives students an opportunity to learn about the terms, principles, and techniques of experiments through electronic simulations. "They can gain confidence with a piece of equipment before they ever touch it," says Gabriele Wienhausen, who has headed up the development of the program with fellow UCSD faculty member Barbara Sawrey. "It's tremendously empowering for students." Rather than progressing in a linear fashion like a book or a videotape, the course is structured like a web, with students creating their own paths. Students can skip over familiar material and spend more time with topics of special interest to them. Links to the University of California's on-line card catalog and to abstracts of biological and chemical research articles reinforce the idea that knowledge is constantly changing and expanding. The program's developers have sought to make it as attractive and interactive
as possible. Almost every screen includes a special twist to keep students
engaged. "People our age have grown up with video games and music videos,"
says Scott Kelley, the recent UCSD graduate who has been leading the programming
team for the project. "It has to look good or you're not going to use
it." |
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