BioLogica™ grew out of our attempt to add structure to the more unguided activities of GenScope�. With a room full of students, we realized, it would be difficult for a teacher to observe what each group was doing, to help them when they got stuck, or react when they arrived at one of those "teachable moments" that we all look for in the classroom. Our experience with GenScope, moreover, demonstrated all too clearly the difficulty of achieving transfer. Students often become adept at using the software without achieving an understanding of the underlying scientific concepts.

That was the origin of the "Web Lab" idea. Web Labs are simply structured activities that attempt to guide students' investigations without losing the spontaneity and engagement associated with more open-ended explorations. Web Labs can also monitor the students' work and alert the teacher to appropriate times for intervention. Eventually, we hope, they may replace paper-and-pencil tests as assessment instruments.

But the jury is still out. We have used our Web Labs only with a small number of students so far. They seem to work well, but we need more data before we can be sure.

That's where you come in. If you are a biology teacher and plan to use BioLogica in your classes, we want to hear from you. We want to know how and when you use the Web Labs, whether you like them, whether your students like them, and what they learn from them. And we want your suggestions as to how they can be improved. This can effectively be done by registering with us.

In exchange, we will keep you apprised of new developments as they happen. In particular, we promise that you will be among the first to know when the cells and molecules (view 3D cells), which currently are QuickTime movies and interactive 3D worlds, are incorporated into the BioLogica software model and become "real."

Drop us a line at info@concord.org.