Continuing in the tradition of Life, the 12th Edition Digital Update embraces an active learning approach that is seamlessly integrated throughout the text and media. Features are as follows:

Life is taught through Achieve:

Achieve is more than just an online homework system—it’s a full online learning system. Studies show that a more structured course that includes smaller and more frequent assignments benefits students who are less prepared for the course without hindering well prepared students. Achieve supports that structure by providing content for all aspects of your course including pre-class preparation, in-class active learning, and post-class homework and assessment.

Life is FOCUSED ON SKILLS

To support teaching and learning in biology through asking questions:

• Data in Depth offers students a more in-depth exploration of the in-text “Work with Data” feature via interactive modules that further enhance scientific literacy skills via a host of interactive enhancements: data visualizations, experimental design, graphing, and mathematical calculations.
• The engaging and powerful simulations are now outfitted with quizzes that will report to the Instructor grade-book.
• A new online, interactive version of the in-text Statistics Primer offers students the opportunity to actually perform statistical analysis and calculations.
• The Experiments and Work with the Data exercises highlight important research and instill the foundation of scientific investigation in students by always following the hypothesis–method–-results–conclusion framework.
• Students needing extra practice with data analysis can use the Online Companions to every Work with the Data exercise in the book.
• Questions in Recaps range from questions that support retention of content to questions that foster higher-order thinking.
• We lead by example by exposing students to many thoughtful questions throughout the body of the text, reinforcing the importance of asking questions in biology.

Life is ENGAGING

To help students take learning into their own hands:

• The Investigating Life narrative thread weaves through the chapter to keep students engaged from the first page to the last. The opening story and question sets the stage for the narrative, a related Experiment and Work with the Data exercise helps reinforce the concepts, and the synthesis and future directions at the end helps wrap up the investigation.
• Links to media such as animations, simulations, and jaw-dropping videos appear throughout each chapter and allow students to interact with content in a variety of ways.
  Intriguing Pop-Up questions in figure captions sharpen students’ skills in critical thinking about biology and subtly reinforce the process of doing science.
• Connect the Concepts foster thinking about the big picture—a task that can be overwhelming for introductory biology students—by demonstrating how certain important terms and concepts relate to discussions in another chapter.

Life is ACTIVE

To help instructors encourage students to “learn by doing”:

• Learning objectives guide students to the essential content as they read through each Key Concept section.
• Recaps for each Key Concept include Questions (all Bloom's levels 2-4) that test their mastery of the key concept.
• The Active Learning Guide (for instructors) provides invaluable resources and support for implementing active learning techniques in the classroom. Accompanying the Guide are a set of full Active Learning Modules, which are comprised of a pre-lecture video, a complete in-class exercise, a pre- and post-quiz, and extensive instructor support.