Molecular and Cellular Biology Animations: Development and Impact on Student Learning

Abstract

Educators often struggle when teaching cellular and molecular processes because typically they have only two-dimensional tools to teach something that plays out in four dimensions. Learning research has demonstrated that visualizing processes in three dimensions aids learning, and animations are effective visualization tools for novice learners and aid with long-term memory retention. The World Wide Web Instructional Committee at North Dakota State University has used these research results as an inspiration to develop a suite of high-quality animations of molecular and cellular processes. Currently, these animations represent transcription, translation, bacterial gene expression, messenger RNA (mRNA) processing, mRNA splicing, protein transport into an organelle, the electron transport chain, and the use of a biological gradient to drive adenosine triphosphate synthesis. These animations are integrated with an educational module that consists of First Look and Advanced Look components that feature captioned stills from the animation representing the key steps in the processes at varying levels of complexity. These animation-based educational modules are available via the World Wide Web at http://vcell.ndsu.edu/animations. An in-class research experiment demonstrated that student retention of content material was significantly better when students received a lecture coupled with the animations and then used the animation as an individual study activity.

Fostering Pre-Service Teacher Trainees’ Understanding of Membrane Transport with Interactive Computer Animations

“…As mentioned in the introduction, researchers suggested that dynamic computer animation can be used to give an accurate and rich picture of the dynamic nature of cellular processes, which are often very difficult to understand from text-based presentations of information . Similar findings in life sciences have also been reported by Stitch (2004), Mcclean et al (2005) and O'Day (2006). Stitch (2004) carried out a study in which, after a lecture on apoptosis, one group of 31 students who viewed an animation on apoptosis was compared to a group of 27 students who did not.…”

“…While the students who saw the animation obtained significantly higher test scores than those who didn't, it can't be ruled out that the extra few minutes of exposure to the topic alone could explain, at least in part, the improved grade. McClean et al (2005) used animations for teaching protein synthesis to one group of students while another group of students were taught without animations. The group viewing the animations obtained significantly higher test scores than the group that didn't.…”

Are Multimedia Resources Effective in Life Science Education? A Meta-Analysis

“…Four papers had no comparison or control group and did not measure a learning gain (Adamczyk, 2009;Blake, 2003;Dantas, 2008;McAteer, 1996); three evaluated an inappropriate student population (Dunsworth, 2007;McLean, 2005;Corton, 2006); eight had incomplete and/or irretrievable data (Fawver, 1990;Garg, 2002;Stith, 2004;McFarlin, 2008;Kohlmeier, 2003;Goldberg, 2000;Petersson, 2009 andGuy, 1992). Three other papers were also excluded on the basis of being a single-cohort study with no comparison to either a control group or as part of a before-and-after design (Dewhurst, 2000;McNulty, 2000;McNulty, 2004).…”

The Value of Animations in Biology Teaching: A Study of Long-Term Memory Retention

“…The students who viewed the animation scored significantly higher on the test than those who had not viewed the animation. McClean et al (2005) did a more comprehensive study in which small groups of students viewed a three-dimensional animation of protein synthesis in various combinations of individual study and a formal lecture versus individual study followed by a lecture without the animation. In all cases, the groups viewing the animation scored significantly higher in the follow-up test than the group that did not view it.…”