Teaching of Biology Supported by Mathematical Models

In the life sciences, the use of mathematical modelling and computer simulation methods has brought many benefits. This is the case, for example, in physics. Biology makes very little use of these methods. One of the reasons for this may be that the biology teaching process is conducted in such a wa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Studia ecologiae et bioethicae Vol. 21; no. 2; pp. 55 - 69
Main Authors: Uchmański, Janusz, Maciejewska, Joanna
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Kardynała Stefana Wyszyńskiego w Warszawie 01.04.2023
Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University Press
Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw
Subjects:
computer simulations
Education
Energy and Environmental Studies
Environmental education
Human Ecology
NetLogo
School education
teaching biology
teaching biology
computer simulations
NetLogo
Environmental education
ISSN:1733-1218, 2719-826X
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:In the life sciences, the use of mathematical modelling and computer simulation methods has brought many benefits. This is the case, for example, in physics. Biology makes very little use of these methods. One of the reasons for this may be that the biology teaching process is conducted in such a way that it discourages young people with an interest in mathematics and computer science. We propose to support the process of teaching biology by introducing simple elements of mathematical modelling of ecological processes. In this work, we showed what benefits would be the application of the NetLogo program in teaching biology in secondary schools. NetLogo is a multi-agent programming language designed to simulate complex phenomena. It is intended for both research and education and is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines. We used the NetLogo program to create a model of searching for food by ants. We have shown that teaching biology by building a computer model forces a deeper understanding of the problem we are working on and uses and develops the creative abilities of young people.
ISSN:1733-1218
2719-826X
DOI:10.21697/seb.2023.12