Biology Project Honored as Top Online Learning Resource
Bill Grimes
Ken Williams
Richard Hallick
An award-winning online project developed at The University of Arizona to educate students and the public on basic biology principles is still earning kudos for its innovative approach nearly 15 years after its creation.
The Biology Project, originally designed as an instructional supplement to introductory biology courses at the UA, has been given the 2009 MERLOT Biology Classic Award. MERLOT, which stands for Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching, is an online community of faculty and institutions working to increase quality Web-based interactive teaching and learning materials. The organization annually recognizes online resources designed to enhance teaching and learning with the awards, which are given in different disciplines, including biology. The award was announced this month at the MERLOT International Conference in San Jose, Calif.
While the three founding members of the UA's Biology Project have retired, they were pleased to learn about the site's latest honor.
"It was fun to get the recognition, especially after retirement when you think all of that's over," said Bill Grimes, who retired as a professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics in 2008.
The Biology Project was started in 1995 as an online resource to supplement introductory biology classes at the UA. It includes information on biology basics, along with interactive quizzes and instructional activities.
Shortly after its development, its creators were surprised to see Web site statistics showing hits from all over the world, said founding member Ken Williams, a principal systems analyst who retired from the UA in 2006.
Today, the freely accessible Web site continues to be used as a resource for college courses, high school classes and self-study throughout the world.
The Biology Project's impact has been so far-reaching that Grimes recalls being contacted by India's Ministry of Health, which was interested in using materials from the Web site for HIV/AIDS education.
The site is structured in a way that allows users to study only what they choose, with interactive functions such as an online quiz that tests users' knowledge of basic biology concepts and provides online tutorials on materials that are unfamiliar to them.
"It doesn't force them into any single mode of study. They can learn what they want to learn," Williams said. "It wasn't designed to be a course in biology. It's an adjunct mostly for people studying biology."
The editor of the MERLOT Biology Editorial Board, in honoring the Biology Project, praised the site's innovative interactive format, stating: "The Biology Project takes the novel approach of first asking students questions; if the student's answer to a question is incorrect the student then gets a tutorial that uses text and graphics to explain the concept that was being assessed. The eight modules at this site cover a range of important biological subjects with good assessment questions and excellent tutorials."
The Biology Project has received numerous accolades, including a 1999 nomination for a Webby Award alongside prestigious names like National Geographic and Scientific American, Williams said.
The project's third founding member, Richard Hallick, who retired as a professor of biochemistry in 2007, said he and his colleagues were surprised by the site's overwhelming success in the early days of the Internet.
"We were way ahead of our time, but it seems to have withstood the test of time," he said.
Since the founders were unable to accept their award in person, a certificate honoring Grimes, Williams and Hallick for their work on the Biology Project will be sent to the UA this week.