title: From biology to mathematical models and back: teaching modeling to biology students, and biology to math and engineering students.
abstract: We describe the development of a course to teach modeling and mathematical analysis skills to students of biology and to teach biology to students with strong backgrounds in mathematics, physics, or engineering. The two groups of students have different ways of learning material and often have strong negative feelings toward the area of knowledge that they find difficult. To give students a sense of mastery in each area, several complementary approaches are used in the course: 1) a "live" textbook that allows students to explore models and mathematical processes interactively; 2) benchmark problems providing key skills on which students make continuous progress; 3) assignment of students to teams of two throughout the semester; 4) regular one-on-one interactions with instructors throughout the semester; and 5) a term project in which students reconstruct, analyze, extend, and then write in detail about a recently published biological model. Based on student evaluations and comments, an attitude survey, and the quality of the students' term papers, the course has significantly increased the ability and willingness of biology students to use mathematical concepts and modeling tools to understand biological systems, and it has significantly enhanced engineering students' appreciation of biology.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106-7080, USA. hjc@case.edu
authors.forename: Hillel J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Chiel
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: McManus
authors.forename: Kendrick M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Shaw
mesh_terms: D001290:Attitude; D001695:Biology / Q000193:education*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003405:Creativity; D004521:Educational Measurement; D004738:Engineering / Q000193:education*; D008433:Mathematics / Q000193:education*; D016743:Mental Competency; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D013334:Students; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*
references.citation: N Engl J Med. 1996 Jun 20;334(25):1642-8
references.pmid: 8628361
references.citation: Hepatology. 2009 Jan;49(1):32-8
references.pmid: 19065674
references.citation: Proc Biol Sci. 2002 Jul 7;269(1498):1383-8
references.pmid: 12079662
references.citation: Math Biosci. 2009 Jan;217(1):19-26
references.pmid: 18950647
references.citation: Trends Neurosci. 2008 Jan;31(1):8-19
references.pmid: 18054801
references.citation: Nature. 2000 Oct 5;407(6804):651-4
references.pmid: 11034217
references.citation: Nat Biotechnol. 2004 Apr;22(4):473-5
references.pmid: 15085805
references.citation: J Theor Biol. 2001 May 21;210(2):249-63
references.pmid: 11371178
references.citation: J Pers Soc Psychol. 1999 Dec;77(6):1121-34
references.pmid: 10626367
references.citation: J Theor Biol. 2002 Feb 7;214(3):371-87
references.pmid: 11846596
references.citation: Science. 2010 Apr 23;328(5977):463-6
references.pmid: 20413492
references.citation: Wound Repair Regen. 2010 Jan-Feb;18(1):105-13
references.pmid: 20002899
references.citation: Science. 2010 Apr 23;328(5977):459-63
references.pmid: 20413491
references.citation: J Immunol. 2003 Jun 15;170(12):6141-50
references.pmid: 12794144