GDCB - Outreach and Online Learning

The GDCB faculty are active in the development and delivery of Web-based instructional materials as well as entire online courses for both on-campus and off-campus audiences through Project BIO and the LAS Center for On-Line Learning (COLL).

Project BIO

This program began in 1995 with the mission of developing and sharing biology education resources via the internet. In recent years the mission of the program has been broadened to include the following functions in support of ISU biology faculty and programs: 1) outreach/distance education function for biology, 2) support for the development and delivery of online biology courses that serve on-campus and off-campus audiences and 3) supports the development and use of online pedagogy for traditional biology courses.

The Project BIO program has been a leader in online instruction at ISU as well as nationally and internationally. This program was the first to offer online courses at ISU. It was also among the first nationally to offer online biology courses and to use streaming media technology for instruction.

Project BIO courses use online technologies to give students more control over their learning environment. Because online materials can be accessed in many places (e.g. in student homes or dorm rooms, in student computer labs, in cafes that offer wireless internet access) students have more control over where they learn. Because course materials are available 24/7, students can access course materials when it is convenient for them, they have unlimited opportunity to review lectures and other course materials and they have more control over the pace of learning. Students also have more control over the assessment process: they are able to take exams during a defined period of time rather than at a set date and time, they receive automatic feedback on exams and they have more immediate access to their grades through the learning management system (e.g. WebCT).

GDCB faculty participate in teaching online courses offered through Project BIO which include:

Biol 101	Introductory Biology. One semester general biology course for non-majors.
Biol 173	Environmental Biology. One semester course for non-majors. Cross listed as Env S 123.
Biol 155	Introduction to the Human Body. A survey course of the human body including principal structures and functions of the body systems and the diseases and disorders associated with them.
Biol 211	Principles of Biology I. First semester of a two semester introductory course that is required by most of the basic and applied life science departments at Iowa State University.
Biol 212	Principles of Biology II. Second semester of a two semester introductory course that is required by most of the basic and applied life science departments at Iowa State University.
Gen 308/508	Biotechnology in Agriculture, Food and Human Health. One semester course that can be taken for undergraduate credit.

LAS Center for On-Line Learning (COLL)

This is an LAS facility that supports the development, use and evaluation of on-line instructional materials. It is a spin off from Project BIO. These materials may be used to support existing face-to-face courses on-campus or as components of fully on-line courses offered to ISU students or distance education students enrolled through ISU Continuing Education. The center provides pedagogical support as well as facilities for the development, delivery and evaluation of online instructional. Pedagogical support can be provided by consultation with center staff and/or through the assembly of an instructional design and development team. Facilities include:

Computer stations for authoring Web-based instructional materials.
Two studios for recording/processing audio and video materials for delivery via the Internet.
RealNetworks Helix Universal Server™ for delivering audio and video content in a variety of formats.
A proctored, online testing facility where students can take WebCT exams online under secure and monitored conditions.