Tara Manchio's Project Portfolio Page

Return to: ETAP 623 Spring 2021 (Byrne) | Integrating Online Multimedia Simulations from BIOinteractive into a Secondary Biology Classroom

About Me

Hi everyone! My name is Tara Manchio and I am from Long Island, New York. I am certified in adolescence education for biology and chemistry. I received my undergraduate degree in December 2019 from SUNY Cortland and am now in my second semester of the CDIT program here at UAlbany. I am hoping to finish my masters degree by next fall. I currently work as a permanent substitute teacher at a high school on Long Island. However, I am hoping to get my own classes in September.

Some of my favorite things in science are marine biology, the nervous system and entropy. I love reading about coral reefs and new research to help save the oceans.

Some of my hobbies include travelling, surfing, trying new foods and going on hikes. I have included a picture of me walking the streets of Rome, Italy below.

My Topic and Purpose

The topic I have selected is using online platforms and simulations to teach biology to students. I chose this topic because online simulations are a great tool for students to utilize and explore natural phenomena in science when there are constraints on time or resources. The website that will be used in this course is BIOinteractive, which can be located at: https://www.biointeractive.org/ . This website provides teachers with resources to supplement student learning through the use of interactive media in modules that students can engage with. Each of the modules that are presented include connections to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) which are the learning standards used across the United States. The modules focus on using multimedia to deliver instruction to students. Additionally, there are formative assessments to track student learning as they progress through each of the assigned simulations.

Needs Assessment

Instructional Problem: Finding new and meaningful ways for students to deepen their scientific understandings in the classroom is a challenge for many educators. There is a need for engaging students in experiences that help students to conceptualize abstract biology ideas into more concrete understandings. Thus, the 21st century technology poses an interesting solution for biology teachers with the recent development of online simulations and interactive media. This project focuses on allowing educators to transition their lessons into a more modern format using online simulations on the BIOinteractive website to construct scientific knowledge.

The Nature of What is to be Learned: Instructors will learn how they can integrate the online multimedia simulations found on the BIOinteractive website into their science units. This mini-course will educate instructors on the benefits of utilizing simulations and how they can further students learning in the biology classroom by breaking down complex topics into a interactive learning format. Research has show that utilizing simulations within the classroom has been linked to increased student engagement, higher transfer of learned to real-world settings, and deeper understandings of abstract scientific ideas (Lunce et al., 2006, p. 38). These learning affordances are created within simulations by enabling students to conceptualize those abstract ideas through the manipulation of variables within the virtual learning environment.

About the Learners: This course will be intended for science educators that teach biology for grades 7-12 and use the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The learners may have had some experience with online platforms and simulations from their teacher education programs in either undergraduate or graduate programs. Although, learners must also possess basic knowledge of how to operate a computer and navigate the internet, they also need to have a desire to include modern technology into their classroom.

Instructional Content: This mini-course will be set up in a way that it introduces the BIOinteractive website, reveals the unique features found in the simulations, acts as a tutorial in how to integrate the simulations into a science unit and then gives teachers the opportunity to evaluate this tool with regards to it's instructional effectiveness. The method of instruction is didactic where the mini-course will include sample lessons in each unit as guide for the learners to inform them of the features of the BIOinteractive website. The activities are learner focused and will give learners the skills necessary to feel comfortable navigating the website and using the various features. They will also give learners the tools necessary to create their own lesson using the multimedia simulations found on the BIOinteractive website.

Scope of Learning Outcomes and Content

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

Understand what BIOinteractive, inquiry based learning and interactive simulations are
Understand the benefits of using BIOinteractive simulations in the classroom and how it engages students in deeper learning with regards to Bloom’s taxonomy
Explain how BIOinteractive multimedia simulations can be used to supplement student learning and promote scientific understandings in their own classroom
Apply what they learned from this mini-course to design a lesson, using the UbD method, that utilizes digital platforms (ex: BIOinteractive) and interactive laboratory activities for students in their classroom by the end of this course

Content to be included in this course

Learning about multimedia simulations
Understanding how to integrate technology into science lessons
Learning about BIOinteractive and how it can be used as a tool to further student understandings of scientific concepts
Learning how to design a lesson using the UbD framework and BIOinteractive multimedia simulations

Performance-Based Objectives

Unit 1: Introduction to Simulations and BIOinteractive

Unit 1 Learning Objectives:

Learners will be able to navigate around the BIOinteractive website using a computer
Learners will be able to locate the interactive simulations and describe the educational purpose of the website

Unit 2: Learning Affordances of Simulations and BIOinteractive

Unit 2 Learning Objectives:

Learners will be able to describe the benefits of the BIOinteractive website
Learners will be able to understand the importance of technology and multimedia simulations and explain the connection to guided-inquiry based learning
Learners will be able to assess the effectiveness of a BIOinteractive interactive simulation by reflecting on the experience and measure student understanding utilizing the formative assessment results from within the simulation

Unit 3: Applying BIOinteractive to my own classroom

Unit 3 Learning Objectives:

Learners will be able to select an applicable simulation to be used in their biology classroom to supplement student learning
Learners will be able to identify the elements of a UbD lesson and how they can design or synthesize their own lesson using BIOinteractive with the UbD process
Learners will be able to identify the learning outcomes of their selected BIOinteractive simulation and outline their instructional goals with a graphic organizer
Learners will be able to evaluate their progress in this course and abilities to transfer their learned skills into their own class by completing a checklist

Task Analysis

Prerequisite Skills

Essential Prerequisites

Ability to utilize and navigate educational technology
Understanding of scientific ideas and how certain variables can affect those concepts
Knowledge of Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
Experience designing lessons
Ability to follow directions clearly

Supportive Prerequisites

Being open minded to integrating technology and simulations into existing lesson plans
Previous use of simulations or interactive modules
A desire to increase student engagement in lessons

Curriculum Map

Take a look at the curriculum map for this course here: Curriculum Map

Or here:

References and Resources

Lunce, L. M. (2006). Simulations: Bringing the benefits of situated learning to the traditional classroom. Journal of Applied Educational Technology, 3(1), 37-45.

Planning and Developing Learning Activities. (2021). Bosie State University. Retrieved March 5, 2021, from https://www.boisestate.edu/ctl-idea/teaching-with-tech/primer/planning-and-developing-learning-activities/