Biochemistry Learning Research Articles

The evolution of the Krebs cycle: A promising subject for meaningful learning of biochemistry.

Evolution has been recognized as a key concept for biologists. To enhance comprehension and motivate biology undergraduates for the contents of central energetic metabolism, we addressed the Krebs cycle structure and functions in an evolutionary view. To this end, we created a study guide that contextualizes the emergence of the cyclic pathway, in light of the prokaryotic influence since the early anaerobic condition of the Earth to increase oxygen in the atmosphere. The study guide is composed of three interrelated sections: (1) a problem, designed to arouse curiosity, inform and motivate students, (2) a text about life evolution, including early microorganisms and the emergence of the Krebs cycle, and (3) questions for debate. The activity consisted on individual reading and peer discussion based on this written material, under the guidance of the instructors. The questions were designed to foster debate in an ever-increasing level of complexity and to strengthen the main contextual aspects leading to emergence, evolving, and permanency of a complex metabolic pathway. Based on classroom observation, analysis of student's written responses, and individual interviews, we noticed they were engaged and motivated by the task, especially during group discussion. The whole experience suggests that the study guide was a stimulus to broaden the comprehension of the Krebs cycle, reinforcing the evolutionary approach as an important subject for learning purposes. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 44:288-296, 2016.

A study of the competency of third year medical students to interpret biochemically based clinical scenarios using knowledge and skills gained in year 1 and 2.

Medical students build clinical knowledge on the grounds of previously obtained basic knowledge. The study aimed to evaluate the competency of third year medical students to interpret biochemically based clinical scenarios using knowledge and skills gained during year 1 and 2 of undergraduate medical training. Study was conducted on year 3 MBBS students at AIMST University, Malaysia. Clinical scenarios (25) were constructed and administered to student volunteers, making sure at least one question from each system of year 2 was represented. Feedback was obtained on a five-point Likert scale regarding perception of learning biochemistry in MBBS year 1 versus 2. Mean score of test was 18 (72.11%). Performance was comparatively better in questions related to topics learnt in year 1 and reinforced in year 2 compared to those learnt for first time in year 2. In the feedback obtained, 31% strongly agreed and 56% agreed understanding the subject was helped more by learning biochemistry in year 2 than in year 1. Likewise, 36% strongly agreed and 56% agreed appreciating the importance of biochemistry in patient diagnosis was helped more by learning biochemistry in year 2 than year 1. Thirty one percent strongly agreed and 54% agreed that year 1 biochemistry would have been more relevant if case discussions were done simultaneously. Students retain basic science subjects better and appreciate the importance of basic sciences in patient diagnosis if they are reinforced in the context of clinical situations.

Need assessment of enhancing the weightage of applied biochemistry in the undergraduate curriculum at MGIMS, sevagram.

In order to review the need assessment of enhancing the weightage of Applied Biochemistry in the undergraduate curriculum at Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (MGIMS), Sevagram, a validated questionnaire was sent to 453 participants which include 387 undergraduate students, 11 interns, 23 postgraduate students, and 32 faculty members. A web-based data collection and analysis tool was designed for online questionnaire distribution, data collection, and analysis. Response rate was 100%. Most of the respondents agreed that the subject Biochemistry has relevance in clinical practice (81.24%) and applied based learning of Biochemistry by medical undergraduates would help in overall improvement in the health standards/patients care (83.44%). According to 65.12% respondents, most of the medical undergraduates read Biochemistry just for examination purpose only. Nearly half of the respondents agreed that minute details of biochemical reactions were not much useful in clinical practice (53.86%) and the vast majority of diagrammatic cycles memorized by the medical undergraduates had no relevance in clinical practice (51.21%), the decreased interest in learning the Applied Biochemistry was due to more amount of clinically irrelevant information taught to medical undergraduates (73.51%), there was a need to rethink for removing the diagrammatic biochemical cycles from curriculum for medical undergraduates (48.12%), the less learning of Applied Biochemistry or competencies would affect the clinical skills and knowledge of medical undergraduates (70.42%). The result of this study suggests that there is need for restructuring the Biochemistry curriculum with more clinical relevance. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 44:230-240, 2016.

Hobby with Biochemistry: Use of active learning methodology in Biochemistry at the Medical School

Introduction and objectives: The learning of Biochemistry is generally considered difficult by the graduates, because studies the molecular level the metabolism of living and it demands a great capacity for abstraction by students. Thus, researchers have tried alternative methods to provid an alternative study method. Materials and methods: 178 students of the School of Medicine, PUC-PR, that course the disciplines of Medical Biochemistry I and II, were divided into 50 groups, each with 3-4 students, and were have to draw up a hobby activity with a specific theme of the Biochemistry. The selected topics were, amino acids and proteins, enzymes, cellular respiration, glycogen metabolism, gluconeogenesis, lipid metabolism, metabolic integration, dyslipidemia and atherogenesis, pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome, mechanisms of diabetes mellitus complications. The hobby activities chosen were direct, duplex, self-defined, cryptogram, bugs game. Both issues such as the type of hobby was drawn between groups. The groups had to: elaborate hobby; presents it to class orally, applying the questions prepared; printing and expose the hobby at the wall in the University; answer an evaluation regarding the preparation of work; and all groups should get together and organize one titled magazine "Hobby with Biochemistry" and deliver it printed. Results and conclusions: According the groups, the greatest difficulty was the adequacy of the questions posed in the required format, once they had only one issue and restricted space for the responses. Furthermore, the formatting was also identified as a point very difficult in activity elaboration. On the topic of learning through the development of work, and/or a new skill groups assigned grades ranging between 7.0 and 10.0 and about 90% of the groups attributed note 10 on satisfaction of seeing the work done and its ability to produce it. According to the results, the activity proved to be an efficient tool to develop different skills desired profile of student teaching the course project, and a different learning opportunity for the student.

STUDENTS’ MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT THE NATURE OF MATTER AND HOW IT IMPAIRS BIOCHEMISTRY LEARNING

Introduction: It is widely known that misconceptions impairs student’s learning. IUBMB proposed a concept inventory which defines biochemistry’s teaching scope. Even though it is known that many of them are subject of misconceptions by students, we collected informal data suggesting a deeper and most pervasive misconception related to the students’ perceptions about what is and is not a molecule through their classroom statements and tests. We hypothesize that students’ impairments on biochemistry learning possibly come from failure to assume that names are related to well defined molecules indicating lack of matter’s representative levels of integration. Objectives The present work aims to detect in freshmen students’ misconceptions about the chemical nature of main small and macromolecules which potentialy impairs biochemistry learning. Materials and methods: A list of assertions about real life situations involving and citing main biomolecules – ATP, DNA, protein, lipid, carbohydrate, enzyme, hormon, vitamin – were mixed with other containing vague common terms – toxin, transgenic, healthy, unwanted elements, chemical compound – not suggesting hazardous situations in order to capture students’ impressions. More than 150 students from five courses in three different higher education institutions answered true or false on 35 assertions. Results and discussion: More than 70% of students had more than 80% error in this task designed to be not tricky, misleading or with unpreviously studied concepts. Results suggests students do not understand compounds as molecules but as entities unrelated to real life situations; on the other hand vague terms triggers a negative perception not necessarily related to harm or hazardous situations. We suggest that it is originated by poor scientific literacy from previous scholarity as well as lack of criteria on media vehicles about the topics here cited. Conclusion: We conclude that many misconceptions on biochemistry topics come from students’ assumptions which arises at the biochemistry course.

A DIGITAL TOOL FOR CASEIN ISOLECTRIC POINT DETERMINATION

Introduction: Casein is a milk protein that has the same number of positive and negative charges in a pH around 4.7. This characteristic is called the isoelectric point (pI). The pI varies from protein to protein and it depends on the charges of the lateral chain of the constituent aminoacids. At this pH value the protein has its minimum solubility since the net charge is zero and the repulsion between molecules is decreased. Furthermore, the electrostatic interaction occurs between the protein molecules. Thus, they form clumps which tend to precipitate. On the other hand, when they are placed in a solution whose pH is above or below of its pI, the protein molecules have respectively a negative or positive net charge, with strong repulsion between themselves and great interaction with the solvent (water). Objective: This learning object presents a simulation of a laboratory practice for the determination of casein isoelectric point. Materials and Methods: Cartoons were planned in order to show the methodology procedures and biochemical fundamentals. Animations were developed with the aid of the Adobe ® Flash 8 software associated with logic programming. Results: The simulation consists of six steps that reproduce the activities performed in the laboratory. Among them, the user can observe different degrees of turbidity and / or precipitation of casein in solutions with different pH values, he can measure these values with paper indicator strips and then determine the pI of this protein. Conclusions: This learning object was tested by students of Biochemistry I, Pharmacy course since 2012/2. The navigation features, design, interaction, interactivity were considered excellent by 80% of students indicating that this object can be used as an interesting tool to assist the teaching and learning of basic biochemistry. Available at:www.ufrgs.br/gcoeb/PontoIsoleletricoDaCaseina/PontoIsoleletricoDaCaseina.swf

FACEBOOK AS A MEDIATION TOOL IN BIOCHEMISTRY DISCIPLINE

Introduction: The current students generation are daily connected to the Internet, wich encourages the use of mobile tools in education. Many of the students of Biochemistry feel apprehensive about the discipline and the use of facebook may contribute, among other factors, motivating them. Objectives: It was analyzed the use of facebook as a mediator and motivator in the discipline of Biochemistry, basing on socioconstrutivist interventions. Material and methods: This work was developed in the action-research perspective, using the quali-quantitative method. An investigative questionnaire was used, using Likert scale and open questions, to investigate the facebook use, as well as the preferences of students, focusing on Biochemistry group in the Biomedicine course. The posts were analyzed identifying: frequency of the interaction`s types (post, comment, likes); interaction's categories (question, answer, motivational); and the content itself of the post. Results: It was highlighted students' interest to search materials, answering questions, and especially seeking information about the discipline. It was emphasized that the group was motivating for learning Biochemistry, encouragement the group to study, with quick and easy access to the professor by chat. Conclusions: The results indicate a preference for students at facebook, with a great motivational potential, is at easy access to colleagues, professor and monitor, or even the ease of obtaining the materials and ask questions in real time, indicating that this tool as a possible way, still little explored, to enhance the teaching of Biochemistry.

A proposal of collaborative education for biochemistry and cell biology teaching

INTRODUCTION: Currently students grow up in a world of digital tools that allow you to connect instantly with the world. At the same time, teachers face several challenges to increase student interest and learning efficiency. One such challenge is the pedagogical commitment of the density of biochemistry and cell biology contents, producing a conflict scenario, between meeting content and maintain the class quality. OBJECTIVES: From this perspective, this study aimed to evaluate the learning biochemistry and cell biology contents in high school classes of IFRN, using collaborative and digital tools in the Moodle. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The contents were offered using various tools such as video lectures, forums, questionnaires, portfolios, glossaries and electronic books. Then these tools were evaluated using an electronic form. In addition to the tools, we evaluated the platform interaction, the performance of activities and the content gamification. RESULTS: The quantitative results revealed directly proportional relationship of the interaction of Moodle with the performance of activities. The content gamification was also assessed positively, with 61% of students considered good, very good or excellent. The best evaluated tools were video lectures, with 31% preference, and questionnaires, with 24%; followed by electronic book, with 10%, and portfolio, with 5.5%. The other tools totaled 30% of the preference. Qualitative results revealed an educational gain of content, because the student lived the experience of teaching and learning collaboratively. In addition, these tools decreased conflicts between content and schedule. CONCLUSION: Thus, the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in a collaborative learning provides relevant results, bringing the reality of the world connected to the classroom. In addition, it assists in defining the content and creative development of a strategy for the construction of the concepts applied to biochemistry and cell biology teaching.

Os ensinamentos herdados de um grande mestre

Ensinar Bioquímica é um desafio enorme no ciclo básico de muitos cursos de graduação. Como convencer o aluno de que a disciplina é importante para seu curso de graduação em um momento tão inicial da sua caminhada acadêmica? Talvez seja difícil definir em palavras uma boa estratégica didática para isso, mas, entre as décadas de 70 e 80, alguns professores toparam este desafio! O professor Leopoldo de Meis foi um dos que dedicaram especial atenção à forma de ensinar bioquímica. Com sua sensibilidade ele foi capaz de perceber que o segredo seria manter a motivação, acrescida de um pouco de provocação aos jovens. Foi pensando assim que o Prof. de Meis, junto com um grupo pequeno de docentes e alunos de pós-graduação do antigo Departamento de Bioquímica Médica, hoje Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, propôs introduzir o método da redescoberta em sala de aula. A ideia era apresentar o conteúdo da disciplina de bioquímica instigando os alunos a interpretarem os dados originais das grandes descobertas desta área. Para isso, cada tema de Bioquímica era apresentado através dos experimentos que levaram às conclusões que eram exibidas no livro didático. Desta forma, os alunos eram motivados a refazer perguntas e a propor experimentos que permitiam a interpretação dos resultados históricos dos cientistas. A metodologia parecia muito nova e difícil em um primeiro momento, mas, com o passar dos primeiros minutos de aula, o ambiente se tornava um local de ampla discussão científica, onde os alunos participavam ativamente e desenvolviam a habilidade de elaborar as questões necessárias para decifrar o funcionamento de vias metabólicas. O paralelo entre os fatos experimentais observados e o estado fisiológico do modelo experimental utilizado nos experimentos clássicos permitiam o desenvolvimento de um conhecimento amplo e crítico no aprendizado da Bioquímica. Imaginar que já no primeiro semestre do curso de graduação o aluno era motivado a desenvolver a autonomia do pensamento crítico era algo revolucionário e bem atraente. Assim, não raro, era possível encontrar em sala de aula alunos já aprovados na disciplina, e cursando períodos mais adiantados no curso, voltando para participar das aulas e rever o querido professor!

Student Reflections from an Upper Level Problem‐Based Learning Biochemistry Course

Problem‐based learning (PBL) is a pedagogical method structured around the idea of a student recognizing his/her own barriers in learning a particular topic. Here, we as students reflect upon our experiences in an upper level PBL course in biochemistry that uses the primary literature as the framework for the class. The theme of our class was the native South American poison known as curare. Students were given articles to read outside of class and were asked to come to the next class with specific “learning issues” identified. (A learning issue is any question that impedes the student from fully understanding the information given in the article.) In class, these learning issues were addressed in small groups. This method is particularly appealing to some students, as it is logical and systematic ‐ as a student is forced to question his/her understanding, the student more naturally probes deeper into the problem being experimentally addressed. After a few weeks, we students saw that there was one major problem: students were not able to focus on the most important aspects of each article without a little direction from the professor. When direction was given, it was much easier to work through each article from the general to the specific. Moreover, retention of information became easier as the method relied less on memorization and more on deeper understanding. PBL allows for the systematic solving of learning issues in a way that is easiest for the student, allowing learning to happen organically rather than rigidly. An inherent criterion for the success of PBL, however, is the students' willingness to recognize his/her own ignorance, which may be the biggest struggle for some.

Transforming Undergraduate Education in the Molecular Life Sciences‐A Special Summer Symposium

From July 30th to August 2nd at Missouri Western University, a special ASBMB small meeting will bring together both new and experienced educators to share, synthesize, and generate effective classroom strategies in undergraduate molecular life science courses. Through a series of presentations, workshops, and open discussions led by successful educators in the field, the most recent strategies identified to improve student learning and success in undergraduate biochemistry and molecular biology courses will be highlighted. Presentations and workshops will demonstrate how these strategies have been implemented in first year courses as well as upper division lecture and specialized laboratory sessions, providing a comprehensive view on how to invigorate the undergraduate curriculum. In addition, discussions focused on evaluating these strategies for publication or grant submission will be included. Throughout the symposium, there will also be extensive opportunities to discuss educational strategies with speakers and other attendees as well as opportunities to gain assistance with future course design.

El uso de escenarios clínicos y el aprendizaje de la Bioquímica en alumnos de primer año de la Carrera de Medicina

Biochemistry is a subject that is difficult for medical students, and its application in clinical practice is not clear. The exercise we did for this paper is related to the “Electrolyte and acid-base balance”. In order to obtain long term learning of biochemistry, we used guided discussion of three clinical scenarios by questionnaires, the elaboration of concept maps and of a game where pH regulation, electrolyte balance, the molecules involved and the alterations in these parameters in different clinical situations were analyzed. The exercise was applied in three intervention groups and three control groups from our Medical School 2011-0 generation, the first one that used a curriculum that incorporates competencies. Long term learning of the contents managed in clinical scenarios (water, acid-base and electrolyte balance and its application in clinical situations), measured in tests applied after the exercise and the development of two competences from the curriculum 2010 were observed in the intervention groups.

Development and Assessment of a Paper Electrophoresis Simulation Software for Chemical Equilibrium Teaching and Learning

Chemical Equilibrium misconceptions impaired the learning of many biochemicalundergraduate content. It was widely reinforced by chemical education data. On the otherhand there was no data for the consequences in biochemistry learning. OBJECTIVE Weproposed the construction of an Aminoacid Paper Electrophoresis software as a tool forChemical Equilibrium teaching and learning which aims to integrate the representationallevels, being macroscopic, microscopic and symbolic in a way to evidence to student thedynamic character of the equilibrium phenomena. It attenuates misconceptions andreduces impairments on biochemistry learning. Although the simulator is based onclassical biochemistry topic it is designed to deal with chemical equilibrium concepts in thecontext of biochemistry. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The software is an PaperElectrophoresis Simulator programmed in HTML5 language. It guides the student stepstoward the simulation showing the technique fundamentals and variables allowing tochoose aminoacids in a list, as well as build even tetrapeptides and run even four samplesin a single simulation after what is defined a pH for simulation. The simulation results areshown in a depiction of a paper electrophoresis device (macroscopic) the speciesproportion in the medium based on the Handerson-Hasselbalch formula (symbolic) and thespecies charge change based on the medium pH (microscopic). All activities are guided bya task list based on previous diagnostic on chemical equilibrium misconceptions.RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Results were based on observation of students classdiscussion and survey. Many of previously diagnosed misconceptions were attenuated intests of chemical equilibrium falling from a 72% to 35% error average; and a studentssurvey agreed with simulator objectives (90%), ease of use (94%), chemicalrepresentations straightness (82%), simulation results (71%) integration ofrepresentational levels (87%). CONCLUSIONS: Students declared the software usabilityand reduced its misconceptions on chemical equilibrium.

Learning the Fructose Metabolism by Hypermedia

Introduction: Learning of biochemistry among other factors depends on create an educational environment favorable to the reality of the students and offer better educational tools for the teachers. Objective: The goal of this hypermedia is to motivate and strengthen the students learning about the metabolism of fructose. Materials And Methods:This work presents the development of a biochemical hypermedia to understanding of the fructose metabolism. It was developed with the help of concept maps, ISIS Draw, ADOBE Photoshop and FLASH MX Program. Results and Discussion: A step by step animation process shows the enzymatic reactions of three pathways of the fructose metabolism (principal route-fructokinase, sorbitol and hexokinase pathways).There are navigation guide that allow scrolling the mouse over the names of the components of enzymatic reactions of via the metabolism of fructose. Thus, explanatory text box, chemical structures and animation of the actions of enzymes appear to navigator. Upon completion of the module, the user’s response to the proposed exercise can be checked immediately through text box with interactive content of the answer. Conclusion:This hypermedia was presented for undergraduate students (UFSC). Its use allowed to users to reach the goal of understanding of the subject independently of their agility or background, since it was possible to each student navigate through the hypermedia according with his individual rhythm and as many times as needed . Interactive hypermedia is proving to be

Learning of Biochemistry and Cell Biology: Case Study of the School of Physiotherapy from ONCE

Introduction: Teaching biomedical disciplines for students with disabilities in highereducation is considered a major challenge, especially when it comes to the curriculum, themethods and the resources. In Brazil there are few reports on how the processes ofteaching and learning biomedical disciplines in higher education are conducted. In Spain,since the 70’s the School of Physiotherapy from the National Organization of Spanish blindpeople (ONCE) offers exclusively for students with disabilities undergraduate degree inPhysiotherapy, as well as many post graduation courses in biomedicine. Thus, the aim ofthis study was to verify in situ what were the resources and methods used by theprofessors of biochemistry and cell biology to teach their students with visual impairments.Material and Methods: Technical visits were conducted using the following instruments tocollect the data: Unstructured interviews with teachers, students and staff (audio-recordedand later transcribed) and classroom observation using photographs and reports. Thedata generated by the interviews were analyzed by the discourse analysis.Discussion and results: Reports indicated that the main methodological resources are:embossed boards made with Swell paper and with the help of an oven called Ricohfuser®; commercially sold models of cells and body structures; the technique of descriptivediscourse where the professor describes an image to be studied, individual touchtechniques where the professor shows an image using the touch of the student. It wasobserved that certain sectors inside the school are especially distinguished. Overall, theschool does not present any other routine different from a regular school, and according tothe professors, it happens intentionally, so that the future professionals are able to work inenvironments not adapted for their needs.Conclusion: The observed adjustments in the school of physiotherapy at ONCE could beseen as an example for Brazilian institutions.

Candidates Profile in FUVEST Exams from 2004 to 2013: Private and Public School Distribution, FUVEST Average Performance and Chemical Equilibrium Tasks Performance

INTRODUCTION. Chemical equilibrium is recognized as a topic of several misconceptions. Its origins must be tracked from previous scholarship. Its impact on biochemistry learning is not fully described. A possible bulk of data is the FUVEST exam. OBJECTIVES: Identify students’ errors profile on chemical equilibrium tasks using public data from FUVEST exam. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data analysis from FUVEST were: i) Private and Public school distribution in Elementary and Middle School, and High School candidates of Pharmacy-Biochemistry course and total USP careers until the last call for enrollment (2004-2013); ii) Average performance in 1 st and 2 nd parts of FUVEST exam of Pharmacy-Biochemistry, Chemistry, Engineering, Biological Sciences, Languages and Medicine courses and total enrolled candidates until 1 st call for enrollment (2008- 2013); iii) Performance of candidates of Pharmacy-Biochemistry, Chemistry, Engineering, Biological Sciences, Languages and Medicine courses and total USP careers in chemical equilibrium issues from 1 st part of FUVEST (2011-2013). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: i) 66.2% of candidates came from private Elementary-Middle School courses and 71.8%, came from High School courses; ii) Average grade over the period for 1 st and 2 nd FUVEST parts are respectively (in 100 points): Pharmacy-Biochemistry 66.7 and 61.2, Chemistry 65.9 and 58.9, Engineering 75.9 and 71.9, Biological Sciences 65.6 and 54.6, Languages 49.9 and 43.3, Medicine 83.5 and 79.5, total enrolled candidates 51,5 and 48.9; iii) Four chemical equilibrium issues were found during 2011-2013 and the analysis of multiplechoice percentage distribution over the courses showed that there was a similar performance of students among them, except for Engineering and Medicine with higher grades, but the same proportional distribution among choices. CONCLUSION: Approved students came majorly from private schools. There was a different average performance among courses and similar on chemical equilibrium, although better performances were in Engineering and Medicine courses and not on chemistry related.

EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES TO EMPOWER HIGHER EDUCATION

Introduction and objectives: The New Media Consortium (NMC) Horizon Project defines educational technology in a broad sense as tools and resources that are used to improve teaching, learning, and creative inquiry. Each technology has been carefully researched and framed in the context of its potential impact on higher education. Within the Horizon Project there are currently seven categories of technologies, tools, and strategies for their use that the NMC monitors continuously. All they have the potential to foster real changes in education, particularly in the development of progressive pedagogies and learning strategies; the organization of teachers’ work; and the arrangement and delivery of content. Following the recommendations of NMC experts panel, we design an application named Augmented Reality Metabolic Pathways (ARMET) in order to improve motivation and to promote student interactivity to the development of skills needed to learn the metabolic pathways. Materials and methods: The ARMET app was developed using Unity, 3D molecules obtained from Protein Data Bank and ChemSpider-chemical structure database, the usage data are stored into a database (MySQL) and are analyzed using the statistical software R. Results and conclusions: ARMET mixes several technologies out of seven categories recommend in the NMC Horizon Report: Mobile app, Bring Your Own Device, Flipped Classroom, Learning Analytics and Augmented Reality. The principal criterion for the inclusion of those technologies into the app was its potential relevance to teaching and learning biochemistry. ARMET is available for iOS and Android platforms, and includes PDF files with a set of cards, the game board and classroom worksheet’s. The students and teachers can register for free. Teachers can create classes and track student performance. ARMET collects data for personalizing learning experiences addressing the challenge to build better pedagogical tools to establish effective formative assessment for metabolism teaching.

Critical Thinking and Reflection on Community Service for a Medical Biochemistry Course Raise Students’ Empathy, Patient-Centered Orientation, and Examination Scores

Meta-analyses of findings for nonmedical curricula show that course-based community service, such as service learning, improves students’ academic achievement and their personal, social, and citizenship outcomes. Based on this strong evidence for K-12 and undergraduate higher education, we tested the theory that biochemistry course-based community service would improve first-year medical students’ empathy, patient-centered orientation, and examination scores. Students completed the Jefferson Scale of Empathy and the patient-practitioner orientation scale at the beginning and end of the first of three biochemistry courses. During the course, biochemistry learning teams of six to seven students selected and performed community service projects and critical thinking and reflection about the projects. They then completed a survey of their opinions about the project. To assess their academic achievement in the course, individual students took biochemistry examinations composed of multiple choice questions. Course-based community service was associated with anticipated improvements in students’ empathy (p = 0.04, effect size = r = 0.44) and patient-practitioner orientation scale (p = 0.004, r = 0.61) scores and, more modestly, with examination (p = 0.02, r = 0.27) scores. Most students agreed that their team community service would help them better to see their biases toward patients (79 %) and to be engaged with them (86 %). Team community service and critical thinking and reflection about the service appear to foster empathy and academic achievement in first-year medical students. As for critical thinking and reflection about other topics, critical thinking and reflection on community service also promote a patient-centered orientation in students.

Teaching and Learning Medical Biochemistry: Perspectives from a Student and an Educator.

Advancement of medicine and that of biochemistry are inseparable, and much of modern medicine would not be practiced in the ways, as they are known today, without our understanding of how genetic, pathogenic and environmental factors affect the human body at the biochemical level. Thus, the importance of teaching medical students biochemistry is self-evident. Ironically, many medical students and practicing physicians consider learning biochemistry an unnecessary burden and that biochemistry has very little relevance to their daily practice of medicine [1–3]. Also, many students, especially those interested in fields such as primary care or psychiatry, also complain that there is too much anatomy in the preclinical curricula [1]. Thus, it seems that these students would prefer to selectively learn subject matters that they believe to be relevant to the medical specialties that they wish to acquire and practice in. Such utilitarian thinking, we believe, is in part responsible for the trend in medical curriculum that devaluates basic science and emphasizes apprenticeship experiences with clinical faculty [4]. Why do these medical students consider it unnecessary to learn biochemistry? What can educators do to convince them that learning biochemistry is important in their education? We have tried to answer these questions from the perspectives of M.A. (Mehdi Afshar), a fourth year medical student, and Z.H. (Zhiyong Han), a medical biochemistry educator. Based on our own experiences, we have considered and discussed four factors that we think partly explain why some medical students have unfavorable opinions about biochemistry (Table 1). We hope that our discussions could stimulate similar discussions among medical students and biochemistry educators elsewhere. Table 1 Factors negatively affecting medical students’ interest in biochemistry

Fostering remembering: the use of outside of class activities to link learning to prior knowledge (618.14)

The constructivist model of learning is that concepts are built in the mind of the learner. Biochemistry is a cumulative field, and builds on concepts from general chemistry, organic chemistry, and general biology. The hypothesis of this study is that by correcting errors in these underlying concepts and connecting biochemistry learning to prior concepts will cause better understanding of both the prerequisite knowledge and biochemistry. Students completed activities either targeted at key prerequisite concepts or control activities on a weekly basis. Targeted concepts included equilibrium, bond energy, acid/base chemistry, hydrogen bonding, free energy, stereoisomers, protein function, and alpha helices. Performance was evaluated on a pre/post test of the targeted concepts and on specific questions of a biochemistry final exam.Grant Funding Source: Supported by NSF‐TUES grant #1140711