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Peer Review

BioQUEST Curriculum Consortium

Reviewed:
Sep 6, 2019 by Biology
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Ratings

Overall Rating: 4.0 stars
Content Quality: 4.2 stars
Effectiveness: 3.8 stars
Ease of Use: 4.2 stars
Overview:

The BioQUEST Curriculum Consortium is a networking website designed to engage biology faculty members in a community with other practitioners.  Resources include annual workshops, access to learning modules and materials, and information on BioQUEST initiatives.  It is most appropriate for faculty and educators to explore resources.

Type of Material:

Collection; Networking tool for practitioners and students of STEM and Science Education

Recommended Uses:

Modules can be used in class, individual and team work group, or assigned as homework

Technical Requirements:

Access to updated browsers

Identify Major Learning Goals:

Users of the resource will find information on past, present, and future workshops designed to enhance expertise in Biology education. For most of the available instructional resources, the learning goals and objectives are presented.

Target Student Population:

College biology faculty, biology educators, graduate students

Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:

None

Content Quality

Rating:
Strengths:
  • A list of projects and publications is a useful reference for educators.
  • Each project includes a link to either a curriculum resources, a module, or research that is practical and applicable.
  • The site includes overview of the goals of the BioQUEST community and the instructional approach they recommend.
Concerns:
  • The calendar of events lag behind and does not reflect the information in the “Home” page.
  • Most of the information in this web site is not readily useful for “teaching on the go” as many educators expect from an online teaching resource.
  • Some data sets do not readily lend themselves to student manipulation

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:
Strengths:
  • A library of learning modules is provided, featuring simulations and models students can use in the classroom.
  • Peer reviews of modules are encouraged.
  • Modules are flexible and can be used in a variety of settings.
  • The resource identifies the learning objectives for each of the activities
Concerns:
  • The module library is burried in the project descriptions rather than being easily accessible from the homepage.
  • The site can be used as a teaching tool but instructors must do a lot more work before accessing the teaching material suitable for a class.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:
Strengths:
  • Data sets and modules can be downloaded for direct use.
  • Works with current web browsers.
  • Website is easy to navigate and all links are working.
  • The resources can be printed for class distribution, if needed.
  • Data sets and lab activities can be downloaded for classroom use
Concerns:
  • The teaching resources are not readily obvious nor accessible unless the user knows where to look
  • Some data sets are not easy to access
Other Issues and Comments:

BIOQUEST is an excellent resource for practitioners and students of Science and Science Education.

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