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Frequently Asked Questions about the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's BioInteractive and Holiday Lectures on Science websites

What is BioInteractive?

What software do I need to use the BioInteractive website?

What materials are available through BioInteractive?

What are the Holiday Lectures on Science?

Are there any restrictions on how the lectures are used?

What is the intended academic level of the lectures? How much science background is necessary for a good understanding of the material?

Are curriculum materials and other resources available for the lectures?

How can I view the lectures?

Are videotapes and DVDs of the Holiday Lectures available?

I'm interested in the Holiday Lectures, but I'm not a teacher. Can I receive videotapes or DVDs of the lectures?

I'd like to present the LIVE webcast to a classroom. What is the best way to view it?

I'd like to present the ON-DEMAND webcast to a classroom. What is the best way to view it?


What is BioInteractive?

BioInteractive is a web-based collection of biology-focused teaching materials created and administered by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Many of the resources are also available on DVD and CD-ROM.

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What software do I need to use the BioInteractive site?

BioInteractive is compatible with most popular Web browsers and common free browser plug-ins. The plug-ins required include QuickTime, Real Player, Shockwave Player, Flash Player, and Adobe Acrobat Reader. Details on installation can be found on BioInteractive's help page.

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What materials are available through BioInteractive?

In addition to the resources on the website, BioInteractive offers DVDs of HHMI's annual Holiday Lectures on Science and CD-ROMs of the Virtual Lab series. These materials are available to educators for free and can be ordered from the catalog at http://catalog.hhmi.org (select “Education” from the “Browse the Catalog” menu on the left).

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What are the Holiday Lectures on Science?

Each Holiday Lectures on Science is a set of four one-hour lectures presented each December at the headquarters of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Chevy Chase , Maryland . The lectures give students and teachers the opportunity to learn about cutting-edge biomedical research directly from some of the world’s leading scientists. Intended to inspire young students to pursue careers in science, the lectures bring the latest developments in a rapidly moving field of research into the classroom.

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Are there any restrictions on how the lectures are used?

The programs may be broadcast, duplicated, and distributed within educational systems for not-for-profit educational purposes. Any other usage requires the written permission of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Duplication of the programs for resale or any other commercial purpose is strictly prohibited.

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What is the intended academic level of the lectures? How much science background is necessary for a good understanding of the material?

The lectures are primarily geared to high school students in honors and Advanced Placement biology classes. Other high school students and undergraduates can certainly benefit from the content of the lectures. Some of the related materials on the biointeractive website (http://www.biointeractive.org/) are aimed at a broader audience. With a teacher's guidance, middle school students can also enjoy learning about the topic.

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Are curriculum materials and other resources available for the lectures?

Educators who register for the Holiday Lectures receive a free classroom poster relating to the upcoming lecture topic. Registration begins in mid-September. The Holiday Lectures website also contains biographical information about the lecturers; lecture summaries; and other educational resources. Under the “Classroom” section, you can find a variety of resources to support the use of Holiday Lectures DVDs in the classroom, including chapter lists and classroom activities.

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How can I view the lectures?

Holiday Lectures are webcast live at http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/hl/. Following the live event, they are available as on-demand streaming video at the same Web address.

The ResearchChannel broadcasts the Holiday Lectures as “HHMI’s Understanding Biomedical Research” series. The ResearchChannel is available on the Dish Network nationwide (channel 9400) and on Cable TV in some locations. Consult the ResearchChannel website for local availability.

New DVDs of the Holiday Lectures are available free each spring following the live event. For ordering information, see catalog.hhmi.org (go to “Education” from the “Browse the Catalog” menu on the left).

Webcasts of all past Holiday Lectures are available as on-demand streaming video at http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/lectures/index.html.

Holiday Lectures are also available as podcasts from http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/podcast_popup.html

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Are videotapes and DVDs of the Holiday Lectures available?

A new DVD of the Holiday Lectures is available each spring. Videotapes are available for Holiday Lectures produced prior to 2005 in limited supply. For ordering information, see catalog.hhmi.org (go to “Education” from the “Browse the Catalog” menu on the left).

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I'm interested in the Holiday Lectures, but I'm not a teacher. Can I receive videotapes or DVDs of the lectures?

Of course, you are most welcome to order, and we hope that you share them with family, friends, and teachers you may know.

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I'd like to present the LIVE webcast to a classroom. What is the best way to view it?
Use the selector to choose High Broadband, choose captions on or off, and turn slides off. Click the “Save Settings and Watch Live” button. To view full screen in Flash Player, click the icon to the left of the volume control button in the player control bar.

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I'd like to present the ON-DEMAND webcast to a classroom. What is the best way to view it?
Select the lecture you wish to view from the Holiday Lectures VOD Player ( http://media.hhmi.org/hl/ )  Press the Play button in the control bar and the video will start playing. For best quality, make sure the HD button is toggled on. Press the Full Screen button to the left of the volume control button in the player control bar.  You can exit full screen mode by pressing the escape button on your keyboard.

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