Creative Exercises (CEs) in the Biochemistry Domain: An Analysis of Students' Linking of Chemical and Biochemical Concepts

Autor/inn/en	Warfa, Abdi-Rizak M.; Odowa, N.
Titel	Creative Exercises (CEs) in the Biochemistry Domain: An Analysis of Students' Linking of Chemical and Biochemical Concepts
Quelle	In: Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 16 (2015) 4, S.747-757 (11 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1756-1108
DOI	10.1039/C5RP00110B
Schlagwörter	Biochemistry; Undergraduate Students; Scientific Concepts; Science Process Skills; Research Methodology; Qualitative Research; Thermodynamics; Molecular Structure; Kinetics; Scoring Rubrics + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Biochemie; Research method; Forschungsmethode; Qualitative Forschung; Thermodynamik; Kinetik; Scoring formulas; Auswertungsbogen
Abstract	Creative exercises (CEs), a specific form of open-ended assessment tools, have been shown to promote students' linking of prior and newly learned concepts within a course. In this study, we examined how often students in an upper-division undergraduate biochemistry course linked prior chemical concepts to biochemical ones in response to CE prompts. Thematic analysis of participant responses showed students making in response to the CEs multiple connections between prior chemical concepts and biomolecule structure, thermodynamics and enzyme kinetics. In the case of thermodynamics and enzyme kinetics CEs, most students tended to rely on contexts and concepts focused on specific materials from their current course whereas responses to biomolecule structure CEs mostly invoked foundational concepts in acid--base and organic chemistry, such as pH/pKa, pI, ionization, stereochemistry, and organic functional groups. Invoking the cognitive resources activation framework in discussing the findings, we highlight the utility and relevance of CEs in upper division courses that rely on the application of prior chemical knowledge to explain new ones as well as the implications of the findings for research and teaching. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Royal Society of Chemistry. Thomas Graham House, Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge, CB4 0WF, UK. Tel: +44-1223 420066; Fax: +44-1223 423623; e-mail: cerp@rsc.org; Web site: http://www.rsc.org/cerp
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01