The Seed Biology Place is a comprehensive site about seeds. From seed history, to seed structure, to germination, to the effects light, temperature, and plant hormones have on seed germination and dormancy, this site provides copious information about seeds. This site is organized into different categories including seed structure, seed ecology, plant hormones, seed germination, seed evolution, and many other exciting things one would need to know about seeds.
Type of Material:
Website
Recommended Uses:
This is an encyclopedic source which assembles many facets of seed biology. It would be most useful as a reference source for students doing research.
This material could be used in the classroom but could also just be used for individuals who are curious about seeds.
Technical Requirements:
Browser. Some linked resources may need plug-ins.
Identify Major Learning Goals:
To present the biology of seeds.
User will learn about seeds and how they develop and what can affect their development.
Target Student Population:
College General Ed, upper division, graduate level.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
Strong background in molecular biology, plant biology and physiology, and evolution are needed to use the information in this site.
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
Content is accurate, high level, and mostly up to date
A wide range of seed biology is presented
Many topics have links to additional material
Concerns:
None
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
Most of the images are in color
Material builds upon knowledge in multiple ways depending on how users navigate through the site
The large collection makes it fun to explore many aspects of the subject matter
There are many links to the literature as well as additional resources relevant to seeds
Many links to data and experimental results are presented
Concerns:
Material is basically text and images, which may not be very exciting for users who prefer animations
The materials, and the way they are presented, are not necessarily engaging, but still very straightforward
There could be more interactive tools to keep interest of students
Some of the content is time sensitive and not all of the materials are readily available during one visit to the site
The website design is antiquated (designed in 2000); although the site has been updated recently, the overall design has not
The information is mostly presented in text-heavy pages and rendered as bullet points; this will be tedious for many students
The material is presented at an expert plant biologist level and will be beyond the reach of many undergraduate students
There are many language errors (typos, grammatical errors, etc.) in the site
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
Very easy to navigate to the different major sections of site
The information is organized and follows a logical order
Pictures were large and easily readable
No defective links or major bugs were found
Information is easy to understand
Most links worked, though some do not and are labeled "future feature"
The navigation is generally clear and each link opens in a new tab making returning to a previous page easy
Concerns:
The old web design does not take advantage of modern website features
The large blocks of text might be hard to read for some and are not ADA accessible
Creative Commons:
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