LCC International University, Klaipėda, Lithuania.
Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.
Biochem Mol Biol Educ. 2020 Jul;48(4):356-368. doi: 10.1002/bmb.21362. Epub 2020 Jun 26.
Ensuring undergraduate students become proficient in relating protein structure to biological function has important implications. With current two-dimensional (2D) methods of teaching, students frequently develop misconceptions, including that proteins contain a lot of empty space, that bond angles for different amino acids can rotate equally, and that product inhibition is equivalent to allostery. To help students translate 2D images to 3D molecules and assign biochemical meaning to physical structures, we designed three 3D learning modules consisting of interactive activities with 3D printed models for amino acids, proteins, and allosteric regulation with coordinating pre- and post-assessments. Module implementation resulted in normalized learning gains on module-based assessments of 30% compared to 17% in a no-module course and normalized learning gains on a comprehensive assessment of 19% compared to 3% in a no-module course. This suggests that interacting with these modules helps students develop an improved ability to visualize and retain molecular structure and function.
确保本科生熟练掌握蛋白质结构与生物功能之间的关系具有重要意义。目前二维（2D）教学方法常常会导致学生产生误解，包括蛋白质含有大量的空洞、不同氨基酸的键角可以同等旋转，以及产物抑制等同于变构调节。为了帮助学生将 2D 图像转化为 3D 分子，并将物理结构赋予生化意义，我们设计了三个 3D 学习模块，其中包含了氨基酸、蛋白质的互动活动以及配体调控的 3D 打印模型，同时还有课前和课后的评估。模块实施后，基于模块的评估中，学习收益的标准化分数与无模块课程相比提高了 30%，与无模块课程相比，综合评估中的学习收益的标准化分数提高了 19%。这表明与这些模块的互动有助于学生提高对分子结构和功能的可视化和保留能力。
