Skip to main content
bioRxiv
  • Home
  • About
  • Submit
  • ALERTS / RSS
Advanced Search
New Results

EcoEvoApps: Interactive Apps for Teaching Theoretical Models in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

View ORCID ProfileRosa M. McGuire, View ORCID ProfileKenji T. Hayashi, View ORCID ProfileXinyi Yan, View ORCID ProfileMadeline C. Cowen, View ORCID ProfileMarcel C. Vaz, View ORCID ProfileLauren L. Sullivan, View ORCID ProfileGaurav S. Kandlikar
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.06.18.449026
Rosa M. McGuire
1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Rosa M. McGuire
  • For correspondence: rmcguire1@ucla.edu kthayashi@ucla.edu xinyiyan@utexas.edu gkandlikar@missouri.edu
Kenji T. Hayashi
1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Kenji T. Hayashi
  • For correspondence: rmcguire1@ucla.edu kthayashi@ucla.edu xinyiyan@utexas.edu gkandlikar@missouri.edu
Xinyi Yan
2Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Xinyi Yan
  • For correspondence: rmcguire1@ucla.edu kthayashi@ucla.edu xinyiyan@utexas.edu gkandlikar@missouri.edu
Madeline C. Cowen
1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Madeline C. Cowen
Marcel C. Vaz
1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Marcel C. Vaz
Lauren L. Sullivan
3Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Lauren L. Sullivan
Gaurav S. Kandlikar
3Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia
4Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Gaurav S. Kandlikar
  • For correspondence: rmcguire1@ucla.edu kthayashi@ucla.edu xinyiyan@utexas.edu gkandlikar@missouri.edu
  • Abstract
  • Full Text
  • Info/History
  • Metrics
  • Supplementary material
  • Data/Code
  • Preview PDF
Loading

Abstract

Theoretical models are fundamental in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB), but they can be difficult to teach in undergraduate classrooms because students come in with inconsistent mathematical training and varying attitudes towards mathematics. A promising way to make these models more approachable is to use active learning exercises that allow model exploration and simulation. Thus, we present EcoEvoApps, a collection of free, open-source interactive web apps that simulate various theoretical EEB models. By surveying students who used these apps in two remote undergraduate Ecology courses in the U.S.A., we found that using the apps led to considerable gains in students’ confidence and understanding of the focal models and underlying concepts. We envision EcoEvoApps as a widely available, equitable tool for students around the globe. Consequently, we have developed EcoEvoApps as a fundamentally collaborative platform, with an aim to build an international community of EEB researchers, educators, and students.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Footnotes

  • Coauthor contact information:

    Madeline C. Cowen: mcowen{at}ucla.edu, Marcel C. Vaz: marcelcvaz{at}gmail.com, Lauren L. Sullivan: sullivanll{at}missouri.edu

  • Supplementary materials: Supplemental PDF with 7 components (S1-S7)

  • https://ecoevoapps.gitlab.io/

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY 4.0 International license.
Back to top
PreviousNext
Posted June 19, 2021.
Download PDF

Supplementary Material

Data/Code
Email

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word about bioRxiv.

NOTE: Your email address is requested solely to identify you as the sender of this article.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
EcoEvoApps: Interactive Apps for Teaching Theoretical Models in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
(Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from bioRxiv
(Your Name) thought you would like to see this page from the bioRxiv website.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Share
EcoEvoApps: Interactive Apps for Teaching Theoretical Models in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Rosa M. McGuire, Kenji T. Hayashi, Xinyi Yan, Madeline C. Cowen, Marcel C. Vaz, Lauren L. Sullivan, Gaurav S. Kandlikar
bioRxiv 2021.06.18.449026; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.06.18.449026
Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo Facebook logo Google logo LinkedIn logo Mendeley logo
Citation Tools
EcoEvoApps: Interactive Apps for Teaching Theoretical Models in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Rosa M. McGuire, Kenji T. Hayashi, Xinyi Yan, Madeline C. Cowen, Marcel C. Vaz, Lauren L. Sullivan, Gaurav S. Kandlikar
bioRxiv 2021.06.18.449026; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.06.18.449026

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Subject Area

  • Scientific Communication and Education
Subject Areas
All Articles
  • Animal Behavior and Cognition (3502)
  • Biochemistry (7343)
  • Bioengineering (5319)
  • Bioinformatics (20258)
  • Biophysics (10008)
  • Cancer Biology (7735)
  • Cell Biology (11293)
  • Clinical Trials (138)
  • Developmental Biology (6434)
  • Ecology (9947)
  • Epidemiology (2065)
  • Evolutionary Biology (13315)
  • Genetics (9359)
  • Genomics (12579)
  • Immunology (7696)
  • Microbiology (19008)
  • Molecular Biology (7437)
  • Neuroscience (41011)
  • Paleontology (300)
  • Pathology (1228)
  • Pharmacology and Toxicology (2134)
  • Physiology (3155)
  • Plant Biology (6858)
  • Scientific Communication and Education (1272)
  • Synthetic Biology (1895)
  • Systems Biology (5311)
  • Zoology (1087)