Supporting Representational Competence in High School Biology With Computer-Based Biomolecular Visualizations
Article
Anna Wilder, Jonathan Brinkerhoff, University of New Mexico, United States
JCMST Volume 26, Number 1, ISSN 0731-9258 Publisher: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE), Waynesville, NC USA
Abstract
This study assessed the effectiveness of computer-based biomolecular visualization activities on the development of high school biology students' representational competence as a means of understanding and visualizing protein structure/function relationships. Also assessed were students' attitudes toward these activities. Sixty-nine students enrolled in three sections of freshman biology used Chemscape Chime software to interactively view 3-D representations of the protein hemoglobin as part of a 10-week instructional unit. Students were also provided with written directions and guiding questions for viewing, manipulating and interpreting the visualizations. After completing the instruction, students' posttest scores revealed statistically significant gains in representational competence. Additional evidence including analysis of posttest responses, student interviews, attitude survey results and weekly activity surveys suggest that computer-based biomolecular visualization instruction was an effective curriculum component supporting the development of representational competence. However, students performed poorly on translation tasks involving graphs. Evidence based on student interviews and attitude survey ratings indicated neutral to mildly positive attitudes toward use of the Chemscape Chime software and computer-based biomolecular visualizations.
Citation
Wilder, A. & Brinkerhoff, J. (2007). Supporting Representational Competence in High School Biology With Computer-Based Biomolecular Visualizations. Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 26(1), 5-26. Waynesville, NC USA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Retrieved March 28, 2024 from https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/21126/.
© 2007 Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE)
Keywords
References
View References & Citations Map- Ainsworth, S., Bibby, P., & Wood, D. (1998). Analysing the costs and benefi ts of multi-representational learning environments. In M. Van Somersen, P. Reimann, H. Boshuizen& T. De Jong (Eds.), Learning with multiple representations (pp. 120-136). Oxford: UK, Elsevier.
- Bateman, R. (2002). Structure visualization in biochemistry education. Journal of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences, 7, 149-152.
- Bateman, R., Booth, D., Sirochman, R., Richardson, J., & Richardson, D. (2002). Teaching and assessing three-dimensional molecular literacy in undergraduate biochemistry. Journal of Chemical Education, 79, 551-552.
- Camp, D. (2002). Sandia pursues biotechnology. Sandia Technology, 4, 2.
- Fisher, K. (2000). Meaningful learning. In K. Moody, J. Wandersee, & E. Moody (Eds.), Mapping biology knowledge (pp. 80-81). Dordrecht, The Netherlands:
- Honey, D., & Cox, J. (2003). Multimedia in biochemistry and molecular biology education: Lesson plan for protein exploration in a large biochemistry class. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, 31, 356-362.
- Keig, P., & Rubba, P. (1993). Translation of representations of the structure of matter and its relationship to reasoning, gender, spatial reasoning, and specifi c prior knowledge. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 30, 883903.
- Kozma, R., & Russell, J. (1997). Multimedia and understanding: Expert and novice responses to different representations of chemical phenomena. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 34, 949-968.
- Lee, T. (2004). An interactive introduction to protein structure. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, 32, 170-172.
- Lincoln, Y., & Guba, E. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
- Marbach-Ad, G. (2001). Attempting to break the code in student comprehension of genetic concepts. Journal of Biological Education, 35, 183-189.
- Marbach-Ad, G., & Stavy, R. (2000). Students’ cellular and molecular explanations of genetic phenomena. Journal of Biological Education, 34, 200-205.
- Martz, E. (1998). Hemoglobin tutorial. Retrieved August 24, 2006, from http://www.umass.edu/microbio/chime/hemoglob/ Michalchik, V., Rosenquist, A., Kozma, R., Kreikemeier, P., & Schank, P. (2002, April). Representational competence and chemical understanding in the
- Parslow, G. (2002). Commentary: Molecular visualization tools are good teaching aids when used appropriately. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, 30, 128-129.
- Pinker, S. (1990). A theory of graph comprehension. In R. Freedle (Ed.), Arti-fi cial intelligence and the future of testing (pp. 73-126). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
- Richardson, D., & Richardson, J. (2002). Teaching molecular 3-D literacy. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, 30, 21-26.
- Scanlon, E. (1998). How beginning students use graphs of motions. In M. Van Somersen, P. Reimann, H. Boshuizen, & T. De Jong (Eds.), Learning with multiple representations (pp. 67-86). Oxford, UK: Elsevier.
- Schank, P., & Kozma, R. (2002). Learning chemistry through the use of a representation-based knowledge building environment. Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 21, 253-279.
- Stratford, S., Krajcik, J., & Soloway, E. (1997). Technological artifacts created by secondary school students: Examining structure, content, and behavior of dynamic models. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST), Oakbrook, IL.
- Tabachneck, H., Leonardo, A., & Simon, H. (1994). How does an expert use a graph? A model of visual and verbal inferencing in economics. In A. Ram & K. Eiselt (Eds.), 16th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society (pp. 842-847). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
- Talsma, V. (2000). Scientifi c understanding revealed by students’ computer models of a stream: A trickle or a fl ood? In B. Fishman& S.O’Connor-Divelbiss (Eds.), Fourth International Conference of the Learning Sciences (pp. 98-105). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
- Tversky, B., Morrison, J., & Betrancourt, M. (2002). Animation: Can it facilitate? International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 57, 247-262.
- Unger, H., Baucom, A., & Lipscomb, S. (2000). Chime Tutorial. Retrieved August 24, 2006, from http://c4.cabrillo.edu/projects/chime_tutorial/index.htm
- Weiner, S., Cerpovicz, P., Dixon, D., & Harden, D. (2000). Rasmol and mage in the undergraduate biochemistry curriculum. Journal of Chemical Education, 77, 401-406.
- White, B., Kim, S., Sherman, K., & Weber, N. (2002). Evaluation of molecular visualization software for teaching protein structure. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, 30(2), 130-136.
- Workshop on Molecular Visualization in Science Education. (2001). Retrieved August 24, 2006, from http://pro3.chem.pitt.edu/workshop Wu, H., Krajcik, J., & Soloway, E. (2001). Promoting conceptual understanding of chemical representations: Students’ use of a visualization tool in the
These references have been extracted automatically and may have some errors. Signed in users can suggest corrections to these mistakes.
Suggest Corrections to ReferencesCited By
View References & Citations Map-
Exposing Gaps in Students’ Mental Model of the Neuron : Comparing traditional neuroscience instruction of the Action Potential to Layered, Iterative Visual External Representations
Satyugjit Virk & John Black, Teachers College Columbia University, United States
E-Learn: World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education 2011 (Oct 18, 2011) pp. 467–473
-
Teaching Science with Technology: A decade of research
David Slykhuis, James Madison University, United States; Rebecca Krall, University of Kentucky, United States
Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2011 (Mar 07, 2011) pp. 4142–4151
These links are based on references which have been extracted automatically and may have some errors. If you see a mistake, please contact info@learntechlib.org.