University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Simulations

These simulated experiments support accessible, virtual learning by allowing students to manipulate variables, collect and/or analyze data.

  • This simulated experiment, based on research by Becky Fuller at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, tests color preference in male and female guppies and the effects of their environment. The results have implications for how visual perception can drive natural and sexual selection.

     
  • This simulation shows how bees heat the hive with their bodies.

     
  • How does glucose affect the formation of memories and help us learn? How does our memory change as we age? This simulated experiment on rats, based on research performed at the University of Illinois campus, can help scientists address these questions and learn more about the brain.

     
  • In this simulation built with NetLogo, students investigate how light, temperature, and genetic mutations affect fruit fly behavior.

     
  • In this simulation, students investigate the driving question "How do DNA and protein determine behavior?" by evaluating protein disruption and function via RNAi in planarians.

     
  • How do hormones, like estrogens, affect learning and the formation of memories? Students use this simulation with videos from a real laboratory to test how rats perform in a maze test.

     
  • What is "data"? Data can be a set of facts, measurements, numbers, words, or any other piece of information that can be collected, categorized, or described. Data collection plays a critical role in the work of scientists and researchers, but once you have the data, what do you do with it?  How does a long list of data points become an answer to a question or the solution to a problem? The Dataset Graphing Tool is designed to explore some selected datasets and generate graphs to present data in a meaningful way.

    This short instructional video demonstrates how to use the Dataset Graphing Tool. Watch the video and explore the data!

     
  • How does light affect sleep and activity patterns? This extensive activity mimics experiments that professional scientists perform to research these types of questions. It includes instructions and a worksheet as a guide on how to use the model and explore your own questions about light and sleep patterns.