Analysis of Students' Aptitude to Provide Meaning to Images that Represent Cellular Components at the Molecular Level

Dahmani, Hassen-Reda; Schneeberger, Patricia; Kramer, IJsbrand M.

doi:10.1187/cbe.09-03-0023

Cited by 13 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Learning outcomes were defined in this study as the participant's cumulative score on three multiple choice examinations which include questions from a large database with known and varying degrees of difficulty, which assess multiple learning domains in Bloom's taxonomy [29]. Interestingly, there was no correlation between either visual cognitive skills or attitude toward images and learning outcome.…”

Section: Visual Cognitive Skills and Learning Outcomesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Learner differences and learning outcomes in an introductory biochemistry class: Attitude toward images, visual cognitive skills, and learning approach

Milner

2013

Biochem Molecular Bio Educ

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The practice of using images in teaching is widespread, and in science education images are used so extensively that some have argued they are now the ''main vehicle of communication'' (C. Ferreira, A. Arroio Problems Educ. 21st Century 2009, 16, 48-53). Although this phenomenon is especially notable in the field of biochemistry, we know little about the role and importance of images in communicating concepts to students in the classroom. This study reports the development of a scale to assess students' attitude toward biochemical images, particularly their willingness and ability to use the images to support their learning. In addition, because it is argued that images are central in the communication of biochemical concepts, we investigated three ''learner differences'' which might impact learning outcomes in this kind of classroom environment: attitude toward images, visual cognitive skills, and learning approach.Overall, the students reported a positive attitude toward the images, the majority agreeing that they liked images and considered them useful. However, the participants also reported that verbal explanations were more important than images in helping them to understand the concepts. In keeping with this we found that there was no relationship between learning outcomes and the students' self-reported attitude toward images or visual cognitive skills. In contrast, learning outcomes were significantly correlated with the students' self-reported approach to learning. These findings suggest that images are not necessarily the main vehicle of communication in a biochemistry classroom and that verbal explanations and encouragement of a deep learning approach are important considerations in improving our pedagogical approach. V C 2013 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 42(4): 285-298, 2014.

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Section: Visual Cognitive Skills and Learning Outcomesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Learner differences and learning outcomes in an introductory biochemistry class: Attitude toward images, visual cognitive skills, and learning approach

Milner

2013

Biochem Molecular Bio Educ

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“…In contrast with schematic simplifications, such as geometric shapes, we define as realistic those representations of macromolecular objects (ranging from single proteins to subcellular structures such as the ribosome) that resemble the experimentally determined structure. These realistic representations may be the direct product of molecular graphics programs or they may be artists’ impressions of experimentally determined structures (Goodsell and Johnson, 2007; Dahmani et al , 2009) and can include anatomically accurate simplifications, such as ribbon diagrams of protein backbones.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…From a number of arguments, both in favor and against the employment of realistic images (listed in Dahmani et al , 2009), we distilled the points of view: 1) many university instructors prefer state-of-the-art representations, because they reflect an expert level of understanding; 2) students will eventually need to be able to provide meaning to realistic representations in order to be able to read and understand current scientific literature (i.e., acquire biomacromolecular three-dimensional literacy); and 3) in a number of cases, structure–function relationships are best illustrated on the basis of real structural information (Nye, 2004). Although the above arguments are all valid from a teacher's point of view, what really matters is how students “handle” the different type of images: to what extent are they able to follow our argumentation?…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Typically, we employed realistic renderings, using computer-generated Protein Data Bank (PDB) structures; realistic-schematic renderings, using shapes inspired by PDB structures; and schematic renderings, using simple geometric shapes to represent cellular components. In our previous study (Dahmani et al , 2009), students were instructed to review chapters about the cell membrane and transport mechanisms. In the tests, they were offered images similar to those found in the learning documents but drawn with different iconographic styles.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Education Catching Up with Science: Preparing Students for Three-Dimensional Literacy in Cell Biology

Kramer

Dahmani

Delouche

et al. 2012

LSE

Self Cite

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The large number of experimentally determined molecular structures has led to the development of a new semiotic system in the life sciences, with increasing use of accurate molecular representations. To determine how this change impacts students’ learning, we incorporated image tests into our introductory cell biology course. Groups of students used a single text dealing with signal transduction, which was supplemented with images made in one of three iconographic styles. Typically, we employed realistic renderings, using computer-generated Protein Data Bank (PDB) structures; realistic-schematic renderings, using shapes inspired by PDB structures; or schematic renderings, using simple geometric shapes to represent cellular components. The control group received a list of keywords. When students were asked to draw and describe the process in their own style and to reply to multiple-choice questions, the three iconographic approaches equally improved the overall outcome of the tests (relative to keywords). Students found the three approaches equally useful but, when asked to select a preferred style, they largely favored a realistic-schematic style. When students were asked to annotate “raw” realistic images, both keywords and schematic representations failed to prepare them for this task. We conclude that supplementary images facilitate the comprehension process and despite their visual clutter, realistic representations do not hinder learning in an introductory course.

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“…Johnson and Hertig (2014) in particular analyze different illustration audiences, discussing visualization considerations for the scientific, education, and outreach audiences. Articles in the cell biology and biochemistry teaching literature discuss the choice of representations for education audiences (Harle 2012a;Harle 2012b;Jenkinson 2013;Loertscher et al, 2014;Dahmani et al, 2009). Kramer et al (2012) identifies the schematic, schematic-realistic, and realistic styles of illustration and the benefits of using each style.…”

Section: Protein Representationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Science Behind G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) and Their Accurate Visual Representation in Scientific Research

Sojka¹,

Brennan²,

Maizels³

et al. 2017

JBC

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IntroductionG Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) are transmembrane (TM) proteins that span the cell membrane seven times, and contain intracellular and extracellular domains comprised of connecting loops as well as terminal extension sequences. GPCRs bind ligands within their transmembrane and/or extracellular domains. Ligand binding elicits conformational changes that initiate downstream intracellular signaling events through arrestins and G proteins ( Figure 1; Katritch et al., 2013). GPCRs play central roles in many physiological processes from sensory to neurological, cardiovascular, endocrine, and reproductive functions. GPCRs represent one of the largest gene families in the human genome, encoding approximately 800 unique proteins (Fredriksson et al., 2003). GPCRs' unique structure and cell surface location make them ideal targets for various drug therapies, assuring interest from the pharmaceutical and clinical medicine communities (Vischer et al., 2011). It is estimated that roughly 40% of the pharmaceuticals currently marketed, target GPCRs (Vischer et al., 2011). BI-167107, bovine Gs;Rasmussen et al., 2011) Urbana-Champaign (Humphreys et al., 1996). This image was made with Visual Molecular Dynamics (VMD). VMD is developed with NIH support by the Theoretical and Computational Biophysics group at the Beckman Institute, University of Illinois atThe elucidation of x-ray crystallographic structures of GPCRs has been monumental to the research in understanding the function and conformational flexibility of GPCRs (Costanzi 2014;Venkatakrishnan et al., 2014). Understanding how ligand binding alters the structure and function of GPCRs to mediate signaling has undergone an expansion in recent years (Katritch et al., 2013). Concepts such as ligands acting as functionally selective biased agonists to elicit a specific subset of signaling responses are now at the forefront of GPCR research (Andresen 2011). Development of allosteric ligands extends the repertoire of GPCR regulators (Smith 2010). GPCRs were originally considered to be monomeric, but increasing evidence indicates that they can form dimers and oligomers as well (Ferre et al., 2014 Piscitelli et al., 2015), has been described as a "crystallization boom" (Costanzi 2014), with rapid growth emerging due to recent technological advances in both crystallization and structure detection. The availability of growing numbers of experimentally-determined GPCR structures, as well as improved homology-modeling of unknown target proteins based on a wider field of experimentally determined GPCR template structures, allows visual representation of GPCRs to be built upon the basis of known or modeled three-dimensional structures. Nevertheless, several challenges to accurate communication of GPCR structure remain.The goal of this paper is to provide strategies to address common visual representation challenges for GPCRs, and to identify errors that may arise from an incomplete understanding of GPCR structure. GPCRs comprise a subclass of the alpha-helical membrane p...

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Analysis of Students' Aptitude to Provide Meaning to Images that Represent Cellular Components at the Molecular Level

Cited by 13 publications

References 21 publications

Learner differences and learning outcomes in an introductory biochemistry class: Attitude toward images, visual cognitive skills, and learning approach

Learner differences and learning outcomes in an introductory biochemistry class: Attitude toward images, visual cognitive skills, and learning approach

Education Catching Up with Science: Preparing Students for Three-Dimensional Literacy in Cell Biology

The Science Behind G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) and Their Accurate Visual Representation in Scientific Research

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