Biofilms & Biodiversity
Interactive Web Lesson

A popular buzzword today in internet lingo is "interactive". To most web users that means ending up on a webpage somewhere clicking through a series of pictures or watching a video clip. While these types of media look nice, the interaction is limited to simply "pointing" and "clicking". Maryland Sea Grant has recognized the need for a more user driven approach to interaction on the web; a series of sites where web users can input data and information and receive feedback within seconds.

Last year, Maryland Sea Grant posted a unique interactive lesson designed for Maryland students and teachers called Biofilms and Biodiversity (www.mdsg.umd.edu//programs/education/interactive_units/biofilm/index.htm). This lesson is based upon a current research project at the Center of Marine Biotechnology that focuses on biofilm formation in the marine environment and it's relationship to biofouling (aka - the nasty "stuff" you find growing on the bottom of a boat).

Features of this lesson include: An Introduction page to the broad topic of microbial biofilms in our world. A Featured Creatures page that displays and describes aquatic organisms commonly found in biofilm communities in Maryland. A Tutorial page on the use of biotic indices to analyze biofilm populations. A Virtual Samples page of two biofilm communities from Baltimore's Inner Harbor where users can perform simulated data analysis. A Performance Assessment page that challenges users to apply their knowledge about the relationship of water quality, biodiversity, and depth. A series of Experimental Design pages that help the user implement their own field experiment and analyze raw data in real-time on the web. A Links page provides users with additional background information. A Teacher Resource page that describes the connection of national and state core learning goals to the Biofilms and Biodiversity lesson.

http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/

Partnerships are currently forming involving this project - locally, nationally, and internationally (see the Virtue Article).

In the future, Maryland Sea Grant will develop other lessons based upon other University supported research and education programs, emphasizing user interaction and applicability in the classroom.

Coming Web Attractions: Oysters & Aquaculture

http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/Extension/msgsnn/msgsnn01_2/index.html