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Active learning strategies aim to increase student critical thinking and engagement. In this article I describe my biochemistry classroom switch from lecture-only to half lecture and half in-class activities, inspired by Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL). Students in a first semester biochemistry course maintained the same ACS exam scores at the end of the course, continued to rate the course and its instruction highly, and class attendance significantly increased after the change in pedagogy. This format was also implemented in a second semester biochemistry course during a course redesign. The flexibility of in-class activities allowed an iterative addition of a bioinformatics themed course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE). The Biochemistry II students report learning practical skills that are likely to benefit them in the future.
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Teaching Protein–Ligand Interactions Using a Case Study on Tau in Alzheimer’s Disease
ABSTRACT: Case studies are helpful teaching tools that can bring scientific concepts to life. Here, we present a case study related to protein−ligand interactions, amino acids, protein structure, and protein modification. While protein−ligand interaction is a foundational concept within Biochemistry, there are few available case studies that focus on this topic. This case study guides students through the scientific thought process and experimental order that could be used to answer questions regarding the role of tau in the etiology of Alzheimer’s disease, based on realistic interactions of tau and microtubules. This case study was trialed in multiple contexts: in a single class period in a one-semester Biochemistry class for nonmajors and as an at-home assignment in a two semester Biochemistry sequence for Biochemistry majors. A survey of student responses indicate that this case study was helpful in improving student creative problem solving and student understanding of real-world applications related to protein−ligand interactions.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1817966
- PAR ID:
- 10491316
- Publisher / Repository:
- American Chemical Society
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Chemical Education
- Volume:
- 99
- Issue:
- 8
- ISSN:
- 0021-9584
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 3064 to 3067
- Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
- Upper-Division Undergraduate, Biochemistry, Amino Acids, Nonmajor Courses, Proteins/Peptides, Molecular Recognition
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.2c00280
