Using expert data to inform the use of research methods and representations to enhance biochemistry instruction and textbook design

Abstract

Biochemistry textbooks often provide a disconnected, highly mathematical, and decontextualized treatment of thermodynamic and kinetic principles, which renders topics like protein folding difficult to teach. This is concerning given that graduates entering careers, like the pharmaceutical industry, must be able to apply such knowledge and related research methods to solve biochemistry research problems. Thus, it is essential that instructors have strategies to incorporate research methods and representations to help students understand the source of such scientific knowledge. Therefore, the goal of our work is to examine expert practice and use the findings to identify instructional strategies to incorporate more cutting-edge research and authentic ways of knowing into science classrooms and textbooks.Toward this goal, we examined how four scientists explain protein folding and dynamics research, focusing on the interaction of spoken language and representations, including gesture. Our analysis indicates that experts employ multiple representations and research methods to communicate how evidence can be used to understand phenomena. In contrast, textbooks explain what is known but seldom use representations to explain how it is known. Based on our findings, we suggest implications for instruction, including the design of textbooks, as well as potential instructional strategies to incorporate discussion of experimental methods and interpretation of representations during classroom activities.

Data‐rich textbook figures promote core competencies: Comparison of two textbooks

“…45 More recently, Jeffery et al urged biochemistry instructors to provide their students with experimental data to support their understanding. 27 Although this study included a small number of student interviews, our findings are consistent with the reports of others and thus independently supported.…”

“…25 Conversely, Walton showed that out-of-class reading assignments of real experimental results improved data analysis skills. 26 Similarly, a 2019 study showed that biochemistry experts use experimental evidence when explaining topics but biochemistry textbooks lack data to support student understanding 27 Students using one of the textbooks evaluated in this study, Integrating Concepts in Biology (ICB), also improved their competencies in the process of science and quantitative reasoning compared to students using a traditional textbook. 28 Schwartz et al sampled over 8000 students from STEM courses at 55 colleges and universities.…”

“…If we want to engage students in meaningful ways that avoid inflated explanations, we must provide them with messy research figures with unaltered and authentic data that biochemistry experts use to explain their understanding. 27 ICB is only one of many possible implementations of a data-centric textbook that weaves the acquisition of core concepts and competencies. We have already shown that students retain core concepts longer and improve their core competencies when using ICB.…”

“…Vision and Change outlined clear goals for instructional practices 6 but only mentioned textbooks five times (Table S1). If we want to engage students in meaningful ways that avoid inflated explanations, we must provide them with messy research figures with unaltered and authentic data that biochemistry experts use to explain their understanding 27 . ICB is only one of many possible implementations of a data‐centric textbook that weaves the acquisition of core concepts and competencies.…”

Conceptualizing learning about proteins with a molecular viewer in high school based on the integration of two theoretical frameworks

“…Most of the curricula for students in tertiary education suggest three main means of displaying visual information using molecular models of proteins: (i) retrieving structure files from the Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics Protein Data Bank (RSCB‐PDB) and visualizing them using PyMol 3–6 or another molecular viewer 7–10 ; (ii) encouraging the haptic perception of protein structures using tactile molecular models in combination with visualization of molecular models 11–16 ; (iii) using virtual reality or augmented reality in 3D 17–19 . The wide scale use of molecular models as a visualization tool for learning about proteins has prompted the development of frameworks for evaluating visual literacy in biochemistry 1,2,20 for teachers and students in tertiary education 21–26 …”