The Virtual Cell
The Virtual Cell is a virtual, multi-user space where students "fly"
around and practice being cell biologists in a role-based, goal-oriented
environment. Working individually, or with others, students learn
fundamental concepts of cell biology and strategies for deductive problem
solving through their experiences in the exploratory virtual space.
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The Virtual Cell is populated with subcellular components: nucleus,
endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, mitochondria, chloroplast and
vacuoles. Each structure is rendered as a 3D object. To the student, the
Virtual Cell looks like an enormous navigable space populated with 3D
organelles. In this environment, experimental goals in the form of
question-based assignments promote deductive reasoning and
problem-solving in an authentic visualized context.
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Welcome to the Virtual Cell Lab...
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The initial point of entry for the Virtual Cell is a virtual laboratory.
Here the learner encounters a scientific mentor and receives a specific
assignment. In this laboratory, the student performs simple experiments
and learns the basic physical and chemical features of the cell and its
components. More notably, laboratory procedures are crafted such that
they necessitate a voyage into the Virtual Cell where experimental
Science meets virtual reality. As they progress, students will revisit
the laboratory to receive more assignments. Periodically, the student
will bring cellular samples back to the virtual lab for experimentation.
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This pedagogical approach provides students with authentic
experiences that include elements of practical, experimental design
and decision making, while introducing them to Biology content. By
practicing scientific problem-solving in an authentic context,
students learn how to think, act, and react as cell biologists.
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The Virtual Cell project originated with the NDSU Worldwide Web Instructional Committee (WWWIC)
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