Using Physical Models to Complement Computer- Based Bioinformatics Labs: Assessing Student Performance and Reactions

 

Michelle Harris

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2004, Volume 25

Abstract

We conducted a controlled investigation in March 2003 to assess how well our introductory cell biology lab students achieved the goals of a computer-based bioinformatics lab when they also had physical, hand held molecular models to manipulate. Our students worked in teams of 2-3 to use the web-based Protein Explorer program to investigate regulatory transcription factor motif structure and function. Three of our six lab sections (23-25 students per section) were only allowed to use Protein Explorer to carry out this exercise, but the other 3 lab sections were also given physical models of their assigned motif and the segment of DNA that it normally interacts with. We evaluated student answers and compared the performance of lab sections that have access to physical models and Protein Explorer with those sections that use only Protein Explorer. We also surveyed students about their reactions to using physical models and/or Protein Explorer. Although students felt more confident about answering questions about molecular structure and function after doing our bioinformatics exercise, their performance on these questions improved only slightly. Students preferred to use both models and Internet tools to investigate these questions, but students with access to both physical models and the Internet did not perform any better than students who used the computer only. We feel that our hypotheses would be better tested if students had more time to use the models and Internet tools.

Keywords:  bioinformatics, assessment

University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2003)