Bioinformatics projects supporting life-sciences learning in high schools.
The interdisciplinary nature of bioinformatics makes it an ideal framework to develop activities enabling enquiry-based learning. We describe here the development and implementation of a pilot project to use bioinformatics-based research activities in high schools, called "Bioinformatics@school." It includes web-based research projects that students can pursue alone or under teacher supervision and a teacher training program. The project is organized so as to enable discussion of key results between students and teachers. After successful trials in two high schools, as measured by questionnaires, interviews, and assessment of knowledge acquisition, the project is expanding by the action of the teachers involved, who are helping us develop more content and are recruiting more teachers and schools.
Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal.
Isabel
I
Marques
Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal.
Paulo
P
Almeida
Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal.
Renato
R
Alves
Escola Secundária Stuart de Carvalhais, Queluz, Portugal.
Maria João
MJ
Dias
Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal.
Ana
A
Godinho
Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal.
José B
JB
Pereira-Leal
D000293:Adolescent; D001695:Biology / Q000193:education*; D019295:Computational Biology / Q000379:methods*; D003479:Curriculum; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007858:Learning; D011174:Portugal; D016730:Program Development; D012574:Schools; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires