This project was prepared as part of a BioQUEST faculty development workshop entitled BioQUEST 2004 Summer Workshop for Undergraduate Faculty: Systems Biology at Beloit College in June 2004. The BioQUEST Curriculum Consortium is committed to the reform of undergraduate biology instruction through an emphasis on engaging students in realistic scientific practices. This approach is sometimes characterized as an inquiry driven approach and is captured in BioQUEST's three P's (problem-posing, problem-solving, and peer-persuasion). As part of this workshop groups of faculty were encouraged to initiate innovative curricular projects. We are sharing these works in progress in the hope that they will stimulate further exploration, collaboration and development. Please see the following links for additional information:

Upcoming events               BEDROCK Problem Spaces

Possible Audiences:

College Faculty, AP High School Faculty, Research Mentors, Graduate Students  

Project Materials:

Maura Flannery: I present two models: the first illustrates how I was able to introduce bioinformatics into my non-major Scientific Inquiry course which focuses on evolution; it is a systems approach to curriculum change [see PowerPoint presentation below: "IT"]. The second model shows how I plan to use Biology Workbench and NCBI materials in enhancing student explorations of phylogenetics and of the relationships between different levels of biological organization [see PowerPoint presentation below:"phylo"]

Stacey Kiser: See attached current examples of modeling activities from Introductory Cellular Biology Course ("Protein Synthesis" and "Gauchers Model"). The course is taught in a community college as part of both majors and non-majors courses.

Raquell Holmes and Maryam Qureshi: We present materials based on our semester long undergraduate research experience that may be incorporated into biology courses. The materials are best used together. They provide two different views of the same activity. The powerpoint presentation [see Modeling Cellular Processes, powerpoint] best represents the exercises of the group. The course write up [see Modeling Cellular Processes, word document] provides a detailed description of the research experience as it might be performed in a classroom.  

Future Directions:

We hope to develop materials for implementing a glycolysis version of modeling cellular processes for use in introductory majors courses.