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Modeling from molecules to moose

Modeling from molecules to moose. Teaching students to develop agent-based simulations in biology Elizabeth F. Ryder 1 , Joseph R. Boyd 1 , Timothy B. Marsden 1 , Meagan E. Sullender 1 , Brian T. White 2 1 Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 2 UMass Boston NSF TUES Award 1140672. Motivation.

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Modeling from molecules to moose

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  1. Modeling from molecules to moose Teaching students to develop agent-based simulations in biology Elizabeth F. Ryder1, Joseph R. Boyd1, Timothy B. Marsden1, Meagan E. Sullender1, Brian T. White2 1Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 2UMass Boston NSF TUES Award 1140672

  2. Motivation • Vision and Change in Undergraduate Education (AAAS, 2010) • Biology should be taught more conceptually • Students need experience with modeling, simulation, and systems approaches to biology. • Simulation in Biology course • Agent-based modeling: systems approach • Similar concepts in different areas of biology: ecology, cell biology, molecular biology • StarLogoTNG: Gentle introduction to programming and simulation that is immediately relevant to biology

  3. Goals Students in Simulation in Biology will: • Gain a deep understanding of biological content and the connections among different fields in biology. • Gain experience with use of simulation in science; hypothesis testing and predicting • Make connections between mathematics, computer science, and biology • Show increased ‘systems thinking’; understand ‘emergent properties’ of systems

  4. Simulation in Biology class • Logistics • Boot camp, practice simulation, project, blog • Class time mostly working in groups

  5. Student project: Schistosomiasis

  6. Evaluation, Dissemination & Acknowledgments • Evaluation • Faculty development • Implementation of Simulation in Biology at UMass Boston, Summer 2014 • Instructor is an ecologist with little programming background • Dissemination ‘kit’ • Tutorials, Boot camp problems, teacher’s guide • Practice projects with guidelines and code • Acknowledgments • Eric Klopfer and colleagues, MIT • WPI students • NSF TUES Award

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