Beyond Bio 101: The Transformation 
of Undergraduate Biology Education.
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The Interactive Lab Manual

Double clicking on one of the modules shown in the course web (right) of the Interactive Lab Manual developed at the University of California-San Diego brings up an outline, such as the one shown below. The outline suggests one possible way to move through the module, but a student can go directly to areas of special need or interest. For example, a student might choose to review the nature of light by clicking on the indicated icon.  



  The program gives students the option of learning more about how light can behave either as a wave or as a particle. Clicking on the "next page" arrow, in this case, leads to a discussion about the general characteristics of waves.

The program incorporates videos and audio text to supplement images and the printed text. Clicking on the surfer in this screen sets him into motion as he rides the wave toward shore.  

Besides presenting information, the ILM poses questions for students to answer in their own Interactive Lab Journals. "Food for thought" questions written on electronic sticky notes invite students to write answers in their journals. Students also can cut and paste material from any module directly into their journals, producing their own custom-designed notes.
 

Part of the spectrophotometry module is a "virtual spectrophotometer." Turning the wavelength knob with the mouse causes the components within the spectrophotometer to operate just as they would in the actual device, but with the top removed so their functions can be seen. Students also can calibrate the instrument and observe the impact that poor calibration has on the absorbance measurement. Learning this helps them avoid similar problems with real spectrophotometers.  

Students following the spectrophotometry module may want to review how to make dilutions. By clicking on the course web button and then on the dilutions module, they can move to sample problems that provide written, spoken, and visual explanations of each step. Clicking on the photograph of program developer Gabriele Wienhausen provides a video explanation of the technique.
 

At any time, students can open the on-line dictionary through their toolbar and get a definition of scientific words and phrases used in the Interactive Lab Manual. Other buttons on the toolbar lead to the outline for the module, to an extensive help section, or to the University of California's on-line catalog.  

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