Development and evaluation of a method for teaching of glycolysis based in assembling the metabolic pathway assisted by computer / Desenvolvimento e avaliação de um metodo para ensino da glicose baseado na montagem da via metabolica assistida por computador

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2009

RESUMO

The study of metabolic pathways is fundamental for all Biology-related courses. Carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins metabolism is used as a model for the study of metabolic pathways in most Basic Biochemistry subjects, and having such knowledge is important for the understanding of processes such as energy attainment and use up by living beings. This project has used a new approach to study metabolic pathways based on their mounting step-by-step, choosing anaerobic glycolysis as a model. A computer program has been developed for mounting the metabolic pathways reactions so that students could handle it by themselves with support available at a tutorial, and also a sequence of instructions for each reaction components. This methodology was applied to the following courses: Physical Education, Nursing, Medicine, and Biology at Universidade Estadual de Campinas - UNICAMP, and Physical Education at Instituto Adventista de São Paulo - IASP, to the subjects of Basic Biochemistry and Physiology. To collect data, a database has been developed so that, whenever the software was used, every use information was stored. By analyzing data statistically, it was noted that, during metabolic pathways mounting, users were likely to decrease the number of attempts along the eleven reactions. Amongst them, students found it harder on first and sixth reactions, as shown by the percentage of users who were not able to complete the reaction by the twentieth attempt (21% on the first reaction, 14% on the second). Additionally, the type of mistake by reaction has also been analyzed, allowing discussion of each reaction individually, and of possible reasons for such mistakes. As a teaching tool, the program has been very well accepted by students, who had an alternative in relation to the "anaerobic glycolysis traditional classes", making it possible to have a different approach of contents. Furthermore, the program enabled students to build metabolic pathways paying attention to each one of their reactions, and also identifying the most difficult points. For teachers, the software was an additional tool, providing a different presentation of the topic, and also knowledge on the most difficult stages for students, allowing the resumption of the concepts necessary to assemble the glycolytic pathway

ASSUNTO(S)

metabolism programas de computador bioquimica anaerobic glycolysis metabolismo biochemistry glicolise anaerobica computer program ensino auxiliado por computador

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

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