1. 5th Symposium on DEB Theory May 31 - June 02 2017
Tromso, Norway
DebX - A Massive Online Open Course on Modelling Metabolism at the individual level using DEB theory
Tânia Sousa, Gonçalo M. Marques and Starrlight Augustine

2. The Context Teaching Experience in DEB (> 5 years)
In the “Applied Ecology” course to Environmental Engineering students in IST for 5 weeks ( hours)
In the “Microbian Cell Factories” course to Microbiology students in IST for 2 weeks (6 + 3 hours)
International DEB tele-course for 5 weeks
Students with different backgrounds

3. The Context
Institutional Support MOOC Tecnico

4. Products debX MOOC course for isomorphs (5 weeks)
debX micro MOOC course for V1 morphs (3 weeks)

5. Products Stand-Alone MOOC course
Online videos for theoretical concepts & pratical issues
Online quizzes for self-assessment
Evalution assessment

6. Products Stand-Alone MOOC course
Online videos for theoretical concepts & pratical issues
Online quizzes for self-assessment
Evalution assessment
Suport MOOC course for flipped classrooms
Work in groups (in the classroom)
Evalution assessment (exam)

7. Products Stand-Alone MOOC course
Online videos for theoretical concepts & pratical issues
Online quizzes for self-assessment
Evalution assessment
Suport MOOC course for flipped classrooms
Work in groups (in the classroom)
Evalution assessment (exam)
Suport MOOC course for the International DEB course

8. Content - MOOC WEEK 1 WEEK 2 WEEK 3 & WEEK 4 WEEK 5
Introduction to DEB theory
Modeling concepts: state and forcing variables, dynamic systems
The importance of shape and size
WEEK 2
Strong and Weak Homeostasis, DEB state and forcing variables
Mass, Energy and Entropy Balances
Thermal homeostasis, the effect of temperature on metabolic rates
WEEK 3 & WEEK 4
Organization and Quantification of Metabolic processes
Going from state-variables to variables that can be measured
Matlab exercises: (1) develop intuition about the DEB model and DEB parameters, (2) use the DEB model to answer “metabolic relevant” questions
WEEK 5
Introduction to the Add my Pet database
Scalling relationships

9. After this course, we expect that students will:
Predict the impact of the area-volume relationship on metabolism.
Make use of the concepts of weak, strong and thermal homeostasis.
Make mass, energy and entropy balances to organisms.
Quantify metabolic rates as a function of temperature and amount of food.
Model the metabolism of an organism through its life cycle.
Identify puzzles & issues to be addressed using DEB
Use the Add-my Pet database and the scaling relationships and the Arrhenius correction function to estimate DEB parameters for a species

10. Feedback from the audience
How can we reach more students/scientists that might be interested?
Major difficulties in learning and using DEB?
What would have helped in your learning process?
What would you want your students to learn ?