This RCN-UBE project is catalyzing interactions between a network of developers and users of Conceptual Assessments in Biology (CABs) to work towards a common goal of creating a centralized BioHUB where CABs can be obtained by faculty, administered on line to students, and discussed. CABs aim to examine students' conceptual understandings of a topic rather than their recall of information that may be and often is memorized; each CAB item engages students in thinking meaningfully about a particular problem or situation. A growing number of CABs are ready to be shared among developers and disseminated for wider use across campuses.
Intellectual Merit: In collaboration with ciHUB website creators at Purdue University College of Engineering, the network developing a Conceptual Assessments in Biology HUB (BioHUB) within the NSF/CCLI-funded ciHUB (concept inventory HUB) to meet the need for dissemination of CABs. Currently ciHUB.org hosts conceptual assessments in engineering, physics, and statistics. The BioHUB is aimed at providing one central and accessible location for CAB information, dissemination, discussion, and research so that instructors in college as well as grades 7-12 can have easy access to CABs, assistance with optional administration and scoring of CABs, and guidance for interpretation and use of CABs in exploring students' prior knowledge, interactive teaching, and assessing learning gains.
Broader Impacts: BioHUB is an exciting concept that can provide a continuing virtual meeting space as well as effective CAB dissemination, and has the potential to profoundly influence the ways in which biology is taught nationwide, increase student engagement in biology classes, and stimulate attainment of meaningful thinking and problem-solving capacities in all students who study biology.
This project is being jointly funded by the Directorate for Biological Sciences, Division of Biological Infrastructure and the Directorate for Education and Human Resources, Division of Undergraduate Education as part of their Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education efforts.
