Understanding metabolism and metabolic pathways constitutes one of the central aims for students of biological sciences. Learning metabolic pathways should be focused on the understanding of general concepts and core principles. New technologies such Augmented Reality (AR) have shown potential to improve assimilation of biochemistry abstract concepts because students can manipulate 3D molecules in real time. Here we describe an application named Augmented Reality Metabolic Pathways (ARMET), which allowed students to visualize the 3D molecular structure of substrates and products, thus perceiving changes in each molecule. The structural modification of molecules shows students the flow and exchange of compounds and energy through metabolism. © 2017 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(5):417-420, 2017.

ResumoUm quebra-cabeças da glicólise em papel tem sido utilizado como estratégia para o ensino de metabolismo.Essa forma de jogo em papel demanda um número grande de instrutores e limita o acompanhamento das dificuldades apresentadas pelos alunos. A tecnologia denominada Realidade Aumentada (RA) foi empregada para favorecer o uso da estratégia de montagem de vias metabólicas em classes numerosas e armazena dados de utilização, que fornecem feedback para alunos e professores. Cartas com estruturas moleculares são lidas por um aplicativo instalado em dispositivos móveis que exibem informações como a estrutura 3D das moléculas, pistas para a montagem da sequência correta da via metabólica e resultados da progressão na atividade. A utilização de RA possibilitou maior autonomia para os estudantes resolverem os exercícios propostos e fornece dados de avaliação de desempenho que permite compreender, e posteriormente sanar, as dificuldades apresentadas pelos alunos. Palavras-chave: Vias metabólicas, Realidade aumentada, Aprendizagem ativa. AbstractA glycolysis paper puzzle has been used as strategy to teach metabolic pathways, but this kind of game demands a higher number of instructors and limits the follow up of the students' difficulties. A technology called Augmented Reality (AR) was applied to enable the puzzle usage in large audiences, and to provide feedback to students and instructors. Drafted as flashcards readable by an app installed in tablets, it conveys information as molecules 3D-structure, clues for correct assembling of the metabolic pathway and results of student progression in the activity. Such technological improvement brought more autonomy to students for solving proposed exercises and an embedded performance data collection system helpful to understand, and after to unravel students' difficulties.

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<p>El geógrafo británico David Harvey es conocido por ser uno de los teóricos sociales más influyentes de las últimas décadas, uno de los autores más citados del mundo y uno de los críticos más agudos del sistema capitalista. Actual profesor distinguido de Antropología en el Graduate Center de la Universidad de la Ciudad de Nueva York (CUNY) y director del Centro Nacional de Estrategia para el Derecho al Territorio del Instituto de Altos Estudios Nacionales en Ecuador, cuenta con una de las obras más prolíficas en el pensamiento geográfico, en la cual, ha abordado tanto el urbanismo y la teoría social contemporánea, como “la teoría social clásica y la economía política donde la reflexión sobre la obra de Marx, ha sido uno de sus ejes centrales, así como sus detallados análisis de la expresión espacial del modelo capitalista” (Navarrete Cardona, 2015).</p>

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O presente estudo é uma análise da visibilidade dada a 196 conteúdos digitais desenvolvidos pelo LTE em cinco plataformas de distribuição de conteúdo digital. O estudo revela que a visibilidade dada ao material publicado no Portal do Professor difere estatisticamente de forma significativa em relação às outras plataformas estudadas, que não diferem entre si. Os softwares desenvolvidos pelo LTE são mais acessados que áudios, vídeos e documentos. Essa visibilidade alcançada com softwares, aliada à projeção de crescimento de usuários de dispositivos móveis como Tablets e Smartphones apontam para um cenário bastante promissor para o desenvolvimento desta tecnologia com finalidades educacionais e de divulgação científica.

Visual literacy is the ability to understand (read) and use (write) images and to think and learn regarding images (both static and moving). Visual literacy and visualization are key learning components in the biochemistry because that science uses models of molecules to explain how cells work. Many studies have shown that visualization technologies (VT) can be useful to develop essential visual literacy. The term "virtual reality" refers to immersive, interactive, multi-sensory, viewer-centered, three-dimensional computer generated environments and the combination of technologies required to build these environments. We design a Virtual Reality (VR) application named VRMET to help the development of visual literacy skills to understand and represent biochemical concepts. VRMET app was developed using Unity3D, Vuforia Augmented Reality SDK and Google VR SDK for Unity. 3D molecules were obtained from Protein Data Bank and ChemSpider and optimized using Blender. VRMET uses a 3D scaled animal cell model. VRMET requires a device with a camera. The user can get the App from the Google Play Store. VRMET has two different scenes: the Augmented reality (AR) scene and the Virtual Reality (VR) scene. AR allows visualizing, from various angles, a scale model of an animal cell. VR allows one to realize a biochemical pathway within the cellular model, visualizing each one of the organelles and observing each of the reactions of glycolysis and the Krebs cycle. VRMET allows students to visualize the molecular structure of substrates and products, thus perceiving changes in each molecule along the metabolic pathway. It also allows observing where in the cell each metabolic pathway occurs. Com o marcador impresso em mãos, o usuário pode, então, iniciar o VRMET. Na tela principal do aplicativo, a cena de realidade aumentada é carregada. Nesta cena, o usuário precisa apontar a câmera para o marcador impresso. Projeta-se, virtualmente, um modelo 3D de uma célula animal e dois botões. Cada um deles leva o usuário para seções específicas do aplicativo, tais como voltar para o menu principal () e para a cena de realidade virtual (VR) (Fig. 4). Figura 4. Cena de Realidade Aumentada do VRMET. Na cena de realidade aumentada, o usuário pode interagir com o modelo 3D da célula animal. Para tal, o usuário pode mover o marcador de papel suavemente, para conseguir observar a célula de diferentes ângulos. No centro do campo de visão do usuário aparece um pequeno ponto branco. Esse 45 Journal of Biochemistry Education

Introduction and objectives: The New Media Consortium (NMC) Horizon Project defines educational technology in a broad sense as tools and resources that are used to improve teaching, learning, and creative inquiry. Each technology has been carefully researched and framed in the context of its potential impact on higher education. Within the Horizon Project there are currently seven categories of technologies, tools, and strategies for their use that the NMC monitors continuously. All they have the potential to foster real changes in education, particularly in the development of progressive pedagogies and learning strategies; the organization of teachers’ work; and the arrangement and delivery of content. Following the recommendations of NMC experts panel, we design an application named Augmented Reality Metabolic Pathways (ARMET) in order to improve motivation and to promote student interactivity to the development of skills needed to learn the metabolic pathways. Materials and methods: The ARMET app was developed using Unity, 3D molecules obtained from Protein Data Bank and ChemSpider-chemical structure database, the usage data are stored into a database (MySQL) and are analyzed using the statistical software R. Results and conclusions: ARMET mixes several technologies out of seven categories recommend in the NMC Horizon Report: Mobile app, Bring Your Own Device, Flipped Classroom, Learning Analytics and Augmented Reality. The principal criterion for the inclusion of those technologies into the app was its potential relevance to teaching and learning biochemistry. ARMET is available for iOS and Android platforms, and includes PDF files with a set of cards, the game board and classroom worksheet’s. The students and teachers can register for free. Teachers can create classes and track student performance. ARMET collects data for personalizing learning experiences addressing the challenge to build better pedagogical tools to establish effective formative assessment for metabolism teaching.