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Undergraduate laboratory work in biochemistry and new perspectives
Biochemical Education 27 (1999) 160}161
Undergraduate laboratory work in biochemistry and new perspectives H. Hakan Aydin*, Ferhan K. Girgin, Biltan Ersoz, Eser Sozmen Department of Biochemistry, Ege University School of Medicine, Bornova, 35100 Izmir, Turkey
Abstract The revision of the practical part of the biochemistry component of the course for medical students at a Turkish university (Ege University) is described. Details are given of the Web site through which some of the material, including quizzes, are accessed. 1999 IUBMB. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
1. Introduction Ege University School of Medicine (Izmir, Turkey) was founded in 1955 and medical education has been provided there ever since its foundation. However, we know from many years of experience in theoretical and practical medical education that undergraduate laboratory work is often recipe-driven, the students not giving a great deal of thought to the background information and aims of the experiment or its clinical correlations. Increased number of students enrolling to our medical faculty (about 400 students/year), limited "nancial funds for education, and the relative insu$ciency in the number of tutors to guide the medical students in lab, were the three main additional concerns of the biochemistry practicals. All these factors contributed to our observation that a great percentage of the students are for the most of the time disinterested and lacking in enthusiasm for biochemistry labs. Questionnaires answered by the students revealing a negative reaction to biochemistry practicals have rea$rmed our observation and emphasised the urgent need to renovate the strategies for biochemistry labs.
the "rst phase was reduced to 135. Based on this positive step taken by the Faculty and the above-mentioned observations relating to the biochemistry practicals, we have revised and renovated the content and application of biochemistry practicals. ¹he preparation of a new handbook Up to this year, students followed a hand-out text for biochemistry labs which did not ful"ll their needs in practicals and related clinical applications. Taking this into consideration, the "rst step taken was the preparation of a new laboratory guide. Fig. 1 shows the introductory Web page of this laboratory guide [1]. The handbook was specially designed to help students to understand the principles of the work, the reasons for carrying it out, and types of observation necessary to ful"l the objectives of the investigation, as well as the background information in summary form [2]. Subjects were introduced as in Practical Biochemistry for Colleges [3] under three main topics; Biochemical techniques, Macromolecules and Clinical biochemistry and this was applied by the tutor of each group at the end of the session (Fig. 2). These evaluations along with the "nal exam (which was a station model exam including the application of some biochemical tests and "ll in the blanks) contributed to the "nal success of the student.
2. Steps related to revision and renovation in biochemistry practicals 3. Results and discussion In 1997}1998, Ege University Medical School made a change in its regulations and the number of students in
*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected].
To evaluate the outcomes of the renovation and revision attempts in biochemistry practicals, students were asked to complete the questionnaires applied in January 1998 anonymously if they wished. Out of 134 students,
0307-4412/99/$20.00#0.00 1999 IUBMB. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. PII: S 0 3 0 7 - 4 4 1 2 ( 9 9 ) 0 0 0 2 5 - 4
H.H. Aydin et al. / Biochemical Education 27 (1999) 160}161
Fig. 1. Web page of the book: ¸aboratory Applications in Biochemistry.
24% evaluated the program and content of biochemistry practicals as &&perfect'' and 60% as &&satisfactory'' while 14% found the practicals as &&fair'' and 1% as &&unsatisfactory''. Apart from the students, all the tutors' were also in agreement that students have been more enthusiastic and cooperative in biochemistry labs. Tutors also observed that this dynamism was intimately tied to the performance of the student during the assessments after each practical. The "nal exam, which revealed 100% success (all students obtained over 60/100, which is the prerequisite for success), is another evidence in favour of the positive role of the new strategies in biochemistry practicals. It is concluded that "rst phase students have bene"ted from this novel self-directed and small group learning in
161
Fig. 2. Quiz page on the Department of Biochemistry web site.
which the objectives have been clearly de"ned. In the coming years our endeavours will continue. The goal is to improve and update the text and also increase the e!ective usage of the Internet.
References [1] Ege University, The Department of Biochemistry Quiz Pages: http://medicine.ege.edu.tr/biochemisty; http://medicine.ege.edu.tr/ biochemistry/Quiz/. [2] H.H. Aydin, F.K. Girgin, Biyokimya Laboratuvar Uygulamalari (Laboratory Application in Biochemistry) First ed., Saray Medical Publishing, Izmir, 1997. [3] E.J. Wood, Practical Biochemistry for College, First Ed., Butterworth, London, 1989.
Undergraduate laboratory work in biochemistry and new perspectives H. Hakan Aydin*, Ferhan K. Girgin, Biltan Ersoz, Eser Sozmen Department of Biochemistry, Ege University School of Medicine, Bornova, 35100 Izmir, Turkey
Abstract The revision of the practical part of the biochemistry component of the course for medical students at a Turkish university (Ege University) is described. Details are given of the Web site through which some of the material, including quizzes, are accessed. 1999 IUBMB. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
1. Introduction Ege University School of Medicine (Izmir, Turkey) was founded in 1955 and medical education has been provided there ever since its foundation. However, we know from many years of experience in theoretical and practical medical education that undergraduate laboratory work is often recipe-driven, the students not giving a great deal of thought to the background information and aims of the experiment or its clinical correlations. Increased number of students enrolling to our medical faculty (about 400 students/year), limited "nancial funds for education, and the relative insu$ciency in the number of tutors to guide the medical students in lab, were the three main additional concerns of the biochemistry practicals. All these factors contributed to our observation that a great percentage of the students are for the most of the time disinterested and lacking in enthusiasm for biochemistry labs. Questionnaires answered by the students revealing a negative reaction to biochemistry practicals have rea$rmed our observation and emphasised the urgent need to renovate the strategies for biochemistry labs.
the "rst phase was reduced to 135. Based on this positive step taken by the Faculty and the above-mentioned observations relating to the biochemistry practicals, we have revised and renovated the content and application of biochemistry practicals. ¹he preparation of a new handbook Up to this year, students followed a hand-out text for biochemistry labs which did not ful"ll their needs in practicals and related clinical applications. Taking this into consideration, the "rst step taken was the preparation of a new laboratory guide. Fig. 1 shows the introductory Web page of this laboratory guide [1]. The handbook was specially designed to help students to understand the principles of the work, the reasons for carrying it out, and types of observation necessary to ful"l the objectives of the investigation, as well as the background information in summary form [2]. Subjects were introduced as in Practical Biochemistry for Colleges [3] under three main topics; Biochemical techniques, Macromolecules and Clinical biochemistry and this was applied by the tutor of each group at the end of the session (Fig. 2). These evaluations along with the "nal exam (which was a station model exam including the application of some biochemical tests and "ll in the blanks) contributed to the "nal success of the student.
2. Steps related to revision and renovation in biochemistry practicals 3. Results and discussion In 1997}1998, Ege University Medical School made a change in its regulations and the number of students in
*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected].
To evaluate the outcomes of the renovation and revision attempts in biochemistry practicals, students were asked to complete the questionnaires applied in January 1998 anonymously if they wished. Out of 134 students,
0307-4412/99/$20.00#0.00 1999 IUBMB. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. PII: S 0 3 0 7 - 4 4 1 2 ( 9 9 ) 0 0 0 2 5 - 4
H.H. Aydin et al. / Biochemical Education 27 (1999) 160}161
Fig. 1. Web page of the book: ¸aboratory Applications in Biochemistry.
24% evaluated the program and content of biochemistry practicals as &&perfect'' and 60% as &&satisfactory'' while 14% found the practicals as &&fair'' and 1% as &&unsatisfactory''. Apart from the students, all the tutors' were also in agreement that students have been more enthusiastic and cooperative in biochemistry labs. Tutors also observed that this dynamism was intimately tied to the performance of the student during the assessments after each practical. The "nal exam, which revealed 100% success (all students obtained over 60/100, which is the prerequisite for success), is another evidence in favour of the positive role of the new strategies in biochemistry practicals. It is concluded that "rst phase students have bene"ted from this novel self-directed and small group learning in
161
Fig. 2. Quiz page on the Department of Biochemistry web site.
which the objectives have been clearly de"ned. In the coming years our endeavours will continue. The goal is to improve and update the text and also increase the e!ective usage of the Internet.
References [1] Ege University, The Department of Biochemistry Quiz Pages: http://medicine.ege.edu.tr/biochemisty; http://medicine.ege.edu.tr/ biochemistry/Quiz/. [2] H.H. Aydin, F.K. Girgin, Biyokimya Laboratuvar Uygulamalari (Laboratory Application in Biochemistry) First ed., Saray Medical Publishing, Izmir, 1997. [3] E.J. Wood, Practical Biochemistry for College, First Ed., Butterworth, London, 1989.