Responsive eLearning exercises to enhance student interaction with metabolic pathways

• Published in: Biochemistry and molecular biology education Vol. 46; no. 3; pp. 223 - 229
• Main Authors: Roesler, William J., Dreaver‐Charles, Kristine
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Wiley-Blackwell 01.05.2018; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Allosteric properties; Biochemistry; Biochemistry - education; Citric acid; click‐box; Computer Assisted Instruction; Decision Making; drag‐and‐drop interactions; Education, Distance; eLearning; Enzymes - metabolism; Feedback; Feedback (Response); Gluconeogenesis; Glycogen; Glycolysis; Humans; Interactive exercises; Internet; Introductory Courses; Learning; Learning Activities; Metabolic Networks and Pathways; Metabolic pathways; Metabolism; Molecular Biology; Online Courses; online learning; Oxidation; Pentose phosphate pathway; Science Instruction; Student Attitudes; Student writing; Students - psychology; Teaching Methods; Tricarboxylic acid cycle; Universities; Interactive exercises; drag-and-drop interactions; click-box; eLearning; metabolic pathways; online learning
• ISSN: 1470-8175; 1539-3429
• DOI: 10.1002/bmb.21112

Successful learning of biochemistry requires students to engage with the material. In the past this often involved students writing out pathways by hand, and more recently directing students to online resources such as videos, songs, and animated slide presentations. However, even these latter resources do not really provide students an opportunity to engage with the material in an active fashion. As part of an online introductory metabolism course that was developed at our university, we created a series of twelve online interactive activities using Adobe Captivate 9. These activities targeted glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, the pentose phosphate pathway, glycogen metabolism, the citric acid cycle, and fatty acid oxidation. The interactive exercises consisted of two types. One involved dragging objects such as names of enzymes or allosteric modifiers to their correct drop locations such as a particular point in a metabolic pathway, a specific enzyme, and so forth. A second type involved clicking on objects, locations within a pathway, and so forth, in response to a particular question. In both types of exercises, students received feedback on their decisions in order to enhance learning. The student feedback received on these activities was very positive, and indicated that they found them to increase their confidence in the material and that they had learned the key principles of each pathway. © 2018 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 46(3):223–229, 2018.