NSF Award
1022793
This project broadens the current offerings of the Center for BioMolecular Modeling, a CCLI supported lending library of manipulable protein models with accompanying lesson plans, and is an interesting variation on the many ways to actively involve undergraduates with current research. The unique feature of this multifaceted molecular biology materials development project is that it involves teams of undergraduate students and research faculty in developing the materials and the learning modules that will accompany them. Educators from seven local undergraduate institutions identify a specific protein whose structure and function plays an important role in a course they teach. The Center for BioMolecular Modeling matches these educators and a small team of their students with a research lab that is investigating some aspect of the protein's structure/function. Each protein modeling team then interacts directly with the lab to learn about this area of research and create a physical model of the protein, using a 3D printing technology. The resulting physical model serves as the focal point of an ongoing instructional materials design effort, led by educators from each participating institution. The materials created include schematic illustrations of the protein within the cell (courtesy of David Goodsell), molecular animations showing the protein's role in a molecular process, use of interactive JMOL-based tutorials (JMOL is an open-source Java viewer for chemical structures in 3D) exploring in a computer environment additional aspects of the protein's structure, materials telling the story of how scientists discovered the facts presented, and other materials designed to engage students in intellectually challenging creative exercises. These instructional materials are being incorporated into the educators' classrooms and their impact is being evaluated based on changes in faculty classroom practice and in student understanding of facts, mastery of concepts, and interest in biology as a career.<br/><br/>The intellectual merit of this project is that it responds to recent calls to transform undergraduate education into a more student-centered, active pedagogy in which students actively participate in authentic science practice and discourse. It recognizes the well-documented positive impact of an undergraduate research experience on students considering STEM careers and integrates this experience with an educator-led instructional materials development effort that translates recent results from the research laboratory into innovative instructional tools for the classroom.<br/><br/>The broader impact of this proposal is that it explores the degree to which an authentic interaction between a group of undergraduates and a research lab can achieve the same benefits as a longer-term, immersive research experience offered to individual students. This approach serves the need to keep classroom materials student centered and current with advances in the science and helps the research lab realize the broader educational impacts of its work.<br/><br/>This project is being co-funded by the Directorate for Biological Sciences.
