Development and Implementation of a Bioinfographic Assignment in Second-Semester Biochemistry: Metabolic Pathways beyond the Classroom

Abstract

Second-semester biochemistry students at two primarily undergraduate institutions, the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and the State University of New York College at Cortland, worked on a collaborative, semester-long project that resulted in the production of bioinfographics focused on metabolic pathways. Students were divided into seven metabolic pathway groups, and each student produced a 1-page bioinfographic where they detailed the structure, function, and broader impacts of a metabolic enzyme. Students used a joint Blackboard site for communication throughout the term and met with their metabolic groups at the end of the semester. At the end of this assignment, these bioinfographics were disseminated to a broader audience both in print and online. In postassignment surveys, most students reported that they found this assignment to be a meaningful capstone project and noted the importance of the peer review process in editing their bioinfographic.

Infographics and Iterative Peer/Near-Peer Review as Tools to Improve Chemistry Communication Skills with General Audiences

“…The benefits of peer-assisted learning are well established and include advantages such as (i) providing better cognitive matches, (ii) establishing a sense of community, and (iii) enhancing learning for both parties. − As such, we incorporated two modes of peer-assisted review, peer and near-peer, which revealed common challenges that advanced students experienced in curating infographics for a general audience. As seen in the pre- and postreview examples (Figure ), most students initially misgauged their target audience.…”

Development of an Infographic Assignment for an Introductory Chemistry Laboratory Curriculum

“…Informational graphics, known as infographics, is another emerging medium that holds promise in an educational setting (as a teaching aid) and to help communicate science, given its general popularity in digital marketing. − Infographics conveys data, information, or knowledge to non-experts in a visually appealing narrative by the clever use of concisely curated text and graphics. − Many chemistry-themed infographics have already appeared to engage the general audience in the form of a Web site called Compound Interest created by Andy Brunning, which has attained over 107 K followers on Twitter under the handle @compoundchem. Several previous research studies have also reported the use of infographic creation to improve student engagement and communication skills in various chemistry courses. − …”