Lesson Study in Biology & Chemistry: 3D Molecular Models

Lesson Study in Biology: Using 3D Molecular Models in Biology and Chemistry Courses

Title: Using 3D Molecular Models in Biology and Chemistry Courses
Authors: Klein, Jennifer; Bhattacharyya, Basudeb; Howard, David  
Disciplines: Biology & Chemistry
Submission Date: June 12, 2015

Abstract: Given the difficulty that many students have understanding the concepts of polarity and hydrogen bonding as they apply to water and biomolecules such as DNA and proteins, 3D models were integrated in units on water, protein and DNA in a variety of 100-, 200-, and 300-level biology and chemistry courses in order to gather preliminary data on the effectiveness of these models for student learning. We found that 100- and 200-level students rated these models as very effective learning tools, but the 300-level students did not. Further studies will focus on assessing the impact of these models on student learning in the introductory levels.

Using 3D Molecular Models in Biology and Chemistry Courses - Partial Report