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Application of the Computer in Biology Teaching: Computer Assisted and Computer Management Learning
60 carrying out a number of simulated experiments. For university undergraduates the choice of available 'experiments' is probably too limited consisting of Sanger's N-terminal analysis, complete/partial acid hydrolysis, proteolytic cleavage (pepsin, trypsin and chymotrypsin) and chemical cleavage (CNBr). The data output from such a simulation is in the form of amino acid Rf values rather than the name of the amino acid itself. The program in its present form was written intentionally for the sixth form school level and so, if a more comprehensive approach is required for application at the tertiary educational level, further modifications could be written in BASIC or alternatively another useful CAL package in this area is MASTERMIND/PROTEIN (Daubert, S D and Sontum, S F J, Chem Education, 54, 25-36 (1977)) which is written in FORTRAN (listing available from the authors).
Smythe, R and Lovatt, K F, Applications of the Computer in Biology Teaching: Computer Assisted and Computer Management Learning, J Biological Education, 13,207-220 (1979). This article provides an excdlent review of the general application of the computer as a learning resource in biology teaching. It outlines the work that has been carried out in this area by a number of 'combines' including the American Huntington Two Computer Project, the Chelsea Science Simulation Project, the Computers in the Curriculum Project, the Computers in the Undergraduate Science Curriculum Project and also by a number of individuals. In this context, thirty actual CAL/CML packages are described in summary. Of these, four are uniquely associated with biochemistry and cover simulations of DNA/RNA sequences, enzyme kinetics including allostery, inhibitor studies related to the lock-and-key model and enzyme structure/function relationships. Many of the others would be of interest as support material for allied areas like physiology and genetics or as models which can be modified for a particuhr topic. All of these CAL/CML packages have been extensively debugged and are available in a ready to use form, clearly an advantage to those lecturers wishing to use this resource for the first time. In addition, some guidance is given for those wishing to devise their own programs and to the most suitable way to implement and evaluate the package. Truemun, M and Hartley J, How do Students use Lecture Handouts?, Aspects of Educational Technology, Vol XIII, 62-67 (1979). Ed by G T Page and Q Whitlock, Kogan Page, London. The extent to which student handout material is used varies greatly from lecturer to lecturer, subject to subject and indeed from topic to topic. The arguments against their use, apart from any financial considerations, are that they reduce if not eliminate the amount of note-taking during a lecture and so the student is in danger of missing information and also that the student relies too heavily on the notes alone during revision for examination papers. Counter to this it has been argued that a reduction in the amount of note-taking during a lecture allows the student to concentrate much more easily on the theme of the lecture and to make short notes, etc, on points he/she felt important, there being little merit per se in copying a graph, drawing or lengthy text, etc. The present paper concentrates on trying to answer a number of questions posed by the authors on just how students use handouts both during and after the lecture, what form the handout should be (assuming there is an optimal) and on how effective handouts are as resource material. A number of conclusions can be drawn from the study, some of which are deemed significant others much less so. Thus it would appear that students preferred detailed handouts rather than skeletal ones and it was felt that the student's attention was increased during the lecture if the handouts were structured to contain a number of omissions of key words, etc. This was also reflected in the student's recall ability when tested at a later stage. It was shown that if students were required to make short notes either during the lecture or at a later date then there was merit in providing blank space for this purpose - - in the present study the handouts were made in booklet form with the left-hand pages being left blank for such additional notes. Wilson, W D and Da~daon, M W, Isolation and Characterization of BacterialDNA, J Chemical Education, 56,204-206 (1979). This paper outlines a series of hboratory practicals on the isolation and characterization o f , bacterial DNA. The authors provide detailed descriptions of the experimental methods for deternfining the extent of protein and RNA contamination, evaluating Tm, estimation the molecular weight by gel electrophoresis and determining the viscosity of both intact and sheared DNA. A full protocol for the isolation of the bacterial DNA is
BIOCHEMICAL EDUCATION
8(2) 1980
supplied, together with a flow diagram which would be a particular advantage for a student group. By use of such a method, the authors quote a yield of 1-4 mg pure DNA per gram of original cell paste. At several points in the methodology, alternative ancillary experiments are highlighted. Wood, A E, Experience with Small Group Tutorials, Studies in Higher Education, 4, 203-209 (1979). Here the author provides some very informative guidelines as to a number of parameters that one must take cognisance of when operating a tutorial programme. The author's own experience was the result of organizing small group tutorials in biology for first-year university students. The particular format of small group tutorial that was studied was one in which the tutor acted more as a participant rather than an originator and director. The consequences of this role of the tutor are discussed both in terms of the ease of adaptation by the tutor himself/herself and the initial expectations of the students. The object of the tutorials was to improve the critical thinking, motivation and participation, communication skills and application of knowledge or skills by the student whilst the aim of the study was in effect to maximize these objectives. In the course of the study, which was based over a period of six years with approximately 900 students each year, attention was directed to such aspects as the nature of the subject material used for the group, the optimal size for the group, structuring the groups around pre-existing social groupings, the relevance and availability of reference material, the nature of the physical environment for the tutorials and monitoring the effectiveness of the tutorials.
ANNOUNCEMENT 'Biochemistry International', a New Journal of the International Union of Biochemistry Biochemistry International is a new journal for the rapid publication of short conL,nunications in the over-all area of biochemistry. It will be published by Academic Press on behalf of the International Union of Biochemistry starting in July 1980. The journal will publish short papers reporting new and significant observations in the field. It is also intended to publish mini-reviews in topical areas. Contributions are now invited. Subscription information: Volume 1, 1980 (six issues), $85 (by air to all subscribers). Editor-in-Chief: A W Linnane, Department of Biochemistry, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia, 3168.
BOOK R E V I E W S Porphyrin Chemistry Advances Edited by Frank C Longo. pp 368. Published by Ann Arbor .Science Publishers lnc, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA and distributed by John Wiley & Sons, Chichester and New York. 1979. £18.70 This volume contains twenty-six papers presented at the Porphyrin Symposium of the American Chemical Society Meeting at the University of Delaware in April 1977. The papers relate to a rather disperse series of topics and there is no attempt within the book to group the chapters into specific sections. This leads to a lack of integration in the text. As with most such volumes, it will be very much more valuable to those who attended the meeting than to others. The format is somewhat inconsistent, especially with respect to structural formulae. For example, p 73 is devoted totally to depicting the structure of chlorophyll whereas the structure of a chlorophyll derivative shown on p 95 is almost too small to be decipherable. Such inconsistencies can often be justified in terms of speed of publication, but this can hardly be said for the present volume, which appears some 2~ years after the meeting. On the credit side, the book contains an abundance of information which is likely to prove useful to all interested in the chemistry of porphyrins. It is also valuable as a source of references to many aspects of the broad field which modern porphyrin chemistry has become. Whilst the approach taken is very firmly chemical, several chapters are of particular relevance to biochemists. These include articles on cytochrome a3 , chlorophyll, sirohaem, cobalamins, isoporphyrinogen biosynthesis and substituted haemoglobins. At £18.70, the book is good value by modern standards. S B Brown
Smythe, R and Lovatt, K F, Applications of the Computer in Biology Teaching: Computer Assisted and Computer Management Learning, J Biological Education, 13,207-220 (1979). This article provides an excdlent review of the general application of the computer as a learning resource in biology teaching. It outlines the work that has been carried out in this area by a number of 'combines' including the American Huntington Two Computer Project, the Chelsea Science Simulation Project, the Computers in the Curriculum Project, the Computers in the Undergraduate Science Curriculum Project and also by a number of individuals. In this context, thirty actual CAL/CML packages are described in summary. Of these, four are uniquely associated with biochemistry and cover simulations of DNA/RNA sequences, enzyme kinetics including allostery, inhibitor studies related to the lock-and-key model and enzyme structure/function relationships. Many of the others would be of interest as support material for allied areas like physiology and genetics or as models which can be modified for a particuhr topic. All of these CAL/CML packages have been extensively debugged and are available in a ready to use form, clearly an advantage to those lecturers wishing to use this resource for the first time. In addition, some guidance is given for those wishing to devise their own programs and to the most suitable way to implement and evaluate the package. Truemun, M and Hartley J, How do Students use Lecture Handouts?, Aspects of Educational Technology, Vol XIII, 62-67 (1979). Ed by G T Page and Q Whitlock, Kogan Page, London. The extent to which student handout material is used varies greatly from lecturer to lecturer, subject to subject and indeed from topic to topic. The arguments against their use, apart from any financial considerations, are that they reduce if not eliminate the amount of note-taking during a lecture and so the student is in danger of missing information and also that the student relies too heavily on the notes alone during revision for examination papers. Counter to this it has been argued that a reduction in the amount of note-taking during a lecture allows the student to concentrate much more easily on the theme of the lecture and to make short notes, etc, on points he/she felt important, there being little merit per se in copying a graph, drawing or lengthy text, etc. The present paper concentrates on trying to answer a number of questions posed by the authors on just how students use handouts both during and after the lecture, what form the handout should be (assuming there is an optimal) and on how effective handouts are as resource material. A number of conclusions can be drawn from the study, some of which are deemed significant others much less so. Thus it would appear that students preferred detailed handouts rather than skeletal ones and it was felt that the student's attention was increased during the lecture if the handouts were structured to contain a number of omissions of key words, etc. This was also reflected in the student's recall ability when tested at a later stage. It was shown that if students were required to make short notes either during the lecture or at a later date then there was merit in providing blank space for this purpose - - in the present study the handouts were made in booklet form with the left-hand pages being left blank for such additional notes. Wilson, W D and Da~daon, M W, Isolation and Characterization of BacterialDNA, J Chemical Education, 56,204-206 (1979). This paper outlines a series of hboratory practicals on the isolation and characterization o f , bacterial DNA. The authors provide detailed descriptions of the experimental methods for deternfining the extent of protein and RNA contamination, evaluating Tm, estimation the molecular weight by gel electrophoresis and determining the viscosity of both intact and sheared DNA. A full protocol for the isolation of the bacterial DNA is
BIOCHEMICAL EDUCATION
8(2) 1980
supplied, together with a flow diagram which would be a particular advantage for a student group. By use of such a method, the authors quote a yield of 1-4 mg pure DNA per gram of original cell paste. At several points in the methodology, alternative ancillary experiments are highlighted. Wood, A E, Experience with Small Group Tutorials, Studies in Higher Education, 4, 203-209 (1979). Here the author provides some very informative guidelines as to a number of parameters that one must take cognisance of when operating a tutorial programme. The author's own experience was the result of organizing small group tutorials in biology for first-year university students. The particular format of small group tutorial that was studied was one in which the tutor acted more as a participant rather than an originator and director. The consequences of this role of the tutor are discussed both in terms of the ease of adaptation by the tutor himself/herself and the initial expectations of the students. The object of the tutorials was to improve the critical thinking, motivation and participation, communication skills and application of knowledge or skills by the student whilst the aim of the study was in effect to maximize these objectives. In the course of the study, which was based over a period of six years with approximately 900 students each year, attention was directed to such aspects as the nature of the subject material used for the group, the optimal size for the group, structuring the groups around pre-existing social groupings, the relevance and availability of reference material, the nature of the physical environment for the tutorials and monitoring the effectiveness of the tutorials.
ANNOUNCEMENT 'Biochemistry International', a New Journal of the International Union of Biochemistry Biochemistry International is a new journal for the rapid publication of short conL,nunications in the over-all area of biochemistry. It will be published by Academic Press on behalf of the International Union of Biochemistry starting in July 1980. The journal will publish short papers reporting new and significant observations in the field. It is also intended to publish mini-reviews in topical areas. Contributions are now invited. Subscription information: Volume 1, 1980 (six issues), $85 (by air to all subscribers). Editor-in-Chief: A W Linnane, Department of Biochemistry, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia, 3168.
BOOK R E V I E W S Porphyrin Chemistry Advances Edited by Frank C Longo. pp 368. Published by Ann Arbor .Science Publishers lnc, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA and distributed by John Wiley & Sons, Chichester and New York. 1979. £18.70 This volume contains twenty-six papers presented at the Porphyrin Symposium of the American Chemical Society Meeting at the University of Delaware in April 1977. The papers relate to a rather disperse series of topics and there is no attempt within the book to group the chapters into specific sections. This leads to a lack of integration in the text. As with most such volumes, it will be very much more valuable to those who attended the meeting than to others. The format is somewhat inconsistent, especially with respect to structural formulae. For example, p 73 is devoted totally to depicting the structure of chlorophyll whereas the structure of a chlorophyll derivative shown on p 95 is almost too small to be decipherable. Such inconsistencies can often be justified in terms of speed of publication, but this can hardly be said for the present volume, which appears some 2~ years after the meeting. On the credit side, the book contains an abundance of information which is likely to prove useful to all interested in the chemistry of porphyrins. It is also valuable as a source of references to many aspects of the broad field which modern porphyrin chemistry has become. Whilst the approach taken is very firmly chemical, several chapters are of particular relevance to biochemists. These include articles on cytochrome a3 , chlorophyll, sirohaem, cobalamins, isoporphyrinogen biosynthesis and substituted haemoglobins. At £18.70, the book is good value by modern standards. S B Brown