海角论坛

October 25, 2012鈥擥别辞谤驳别迟辞飞苍鈥檚 and the (CNDLS) are leading an initiative to bring more research-based learning into the classroom.

Assistant Biology Professor has partnered with CNDLS, Simmons 海角论坛, and the J. Craig Venter Institute to create , a website that helps faculty and students investigate the Human Microbiome Project. Funded in part by the , Genome Solver includes an interactive website and summer workshops for professors.

The (HMP) of the National Institutes of Health hopes to identify and study the microbes that populate the human body. Every person has 10 times more microorganisms, or microbes, than human cells. According to Rosenwald, HMP aims to understand all of the organisms associated with the human system. 鈥淚n some ways, there are a lot of different ecological niches in your body. All those niches have their own unique microbes,鈥� Rosenwald explained.

These microbes鈥攚hich are found everywhere from inside your nose and on your elbow to in your digestive tract鈥攃an have both harmful and beneficial effects. Scientists are looking to better understand these organisms and their functions within the body, especially studying how the microbial populations change when a person becomes ill.

Data about these microbes were largely unavailable until recent technological improvements in computers and DNA sequencing. can easily produce a mass of data for the Human Microbiome Project, but there are few scientists trained to analyze it. 鈥淲e have really good computers now, [and] we have a faster way to sequence DNA. [But] nobody has really gone in and dug through with a human eye,鈥� Rosenwald said.

As the need for these skills has grown, Rosenwald and CNDLS are exploring how to train more faculty and students. Each summer Rosenwald leads workshops for non-Georgetown faculty who want to use Genome Solver and teach this kind of analysis in their own classes. The project also aims to teach students practical skills while using real data. 鈥淲e鈥檙e very interested in that kind of learning, research-based learning, but we鈥檙e also interested in how the digital can aid and abet that,鈥� said Janet Russell, CNDLS鈥檚 director of science programs and instructional technology.

Genome Solver is more interactive than a standard learning management system like Blackboard. It allows students and faculty from any institution to create groups about shared interests. Genomics faculty at different universities can share teaching and curriculum advice, while students and professors can talk about topics missed in class. 鈥淸Students] spend so much time online. They don鈥檛 see [a website] as a barrier but as an opportunity,鈥� Rosenwald said.

Dr. Gaurav Arora is currently teaching a course on bioinformatics, which teaches students the necessary analytical skills for certain scientific research. Genome Solver allows him to teach to a range of students. Those students who are too nervous to speak in class can participate easily through the website. He can also save class time by using the website to cover specific topics. The most exciting part for students is, however, the opportunity to do real scientific research in class. 鈥淪tudents like this model where they not only learn skills, but they actually get to work with real data,鈥� Arora said. According to Arora and Rosenwald, seeing realistic scientific work becomes a significant motivator for students.

While many Georgetown students have the opportunity to work in laboratories, Genome Solver allows for research opportunities in the undergraduate classroom. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a movement out there called CURE, classroom undergraduate research experience,鈥� Rosenwald explained. By focusing on the classroom environment, Rosenwald and her team hope to bring research-based learning to more Georgetown science students and also to students at other universities. 鈥淸Genome Solver] gives students at other schools that don鈥檛 have a lot of resources a way to do real research. All you need is a computer with an Internet connection,鈥� she continued.

Through Genome Solver, Rosenwald, Arora, and CNDLS are exploring how to combine online learning and the traditional classroom experience, but they also hope to create an academic community with shared interests in cutting-edge genomic research. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just for students in our classes. It鈥檚 for students in other classes; it鈥檚 for other faculty members,鈥� Rosenwald said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to generate a community.鈥�