Silicon teachers in undergraduate biology

Abstract

Computers are increasingly being used in undergraduate biology teaching, but often their use seems more trendy than substantive. Simply putting textbooks and graphs on a computer does not accomplish much. The real value of computer-based teaching software lies with teaching the process of science — that is doing experiments and figuring out puzzles. A second major value is the ability to view large amounts of data in novel ways, for instance through 3-D visualization. Here I provide an idiosyncratic tour and review of biology teaching software, along with directions to Web sites that will take you deeper into this world. Computer software can greatly enhance biology teaching, but it is unlikely to replace flesh-and-blood professors or teaching assistants. The computer-in-the-classroom revolution has less to do with technology than with how to teach thinking.