Biomodels: Teaching biologists how to model

Figure 7: This Maple V graph heads the website of the Biomodels project

In 1995 the Danish Ministry of Education launched a programme to back new initiatives in technology/IT-supported education. Dina suggested that KVL's Dept. of Mathematics and Physics (IMF) should formulate a project and apply for funding. A three-year project, Biomodels, was drawn up, and IMF received a grant of about 1 mio DKR, which was supplemented by KVL and Dina with roughly 1/2 mio DKR each to cover the essential expense: the salary of 2 assistant professors (one in mathematics and one in data processing) and 1/2 computer technician in 3 years.
As the project period ends (Dec. 1999), we can look back on a successful and inspiring educational experiment. Two new courses were designed, Biomodels G at bachelor level and Biomodels O at master level; they have run 3 and 2 times, respectively, with 6 - 15 participants. Maple V was chosen as computer system; IT facilities like WorldWideWeb and e-mail were used extensively. Teaching has been problem oriented, with students working in small groups or individually on mini projects in their agricultural interest sphere; reports were handed over as a Maple worksheet and made accessible on www. Course evaluations have been enthusiastic, and there is no doubt that the courses have opened the eyes of the participants for the possibilities of IT and modelling.
Another ambition in the project was to create a number of hands-on modules for use in computer-supported supplementary teaching. A good start was made on this task and it will be followed up after the project period has ended. Also the course Biomodels O will prevail as a permanent activity at IMF. - A variant of Biomodels O was arranged in NOVABA setting as an intensive one-week course for Baltic agricultural students in Kaunas, Lithuania in Sep. 1998.