Probing the Relevance of Chemical Identity Thinking in Biochemical Contexts

Abstract

The solving of problems in biochemistry often uses concepts from multiple disciplines such as chemistry and biology. Chemical identity (CI) is a foundational concept in the field of chemistry, and the knowledge, thinking, and practices associated with CI are used to answer the following questions: “What is this substance?” and “How is it different from other substances?” In this study, we examined the relevance of CI in biochemical contexts and first explored the ways in which practicing biochemists consider CI relevant in their work. These responses informed the development of creative exercises (CEs) given to second-­semester biochemistry students. Analysis of the student responses to these CEs revealed that students incorporated precursors to CI thinking in more than half of their responses, which were categorized by seven previously identified themes of CI relevant to the presented biochemical contexts. The prevalence of these precursors in student responses to the CEs, coupled with the examples provided by practicing biochemists of contexts in which CI is relevant, indicate that CI thinking is relevant for both students training to be biochemists and practicing biochemists.

Concept Inventories as a Complement to Learning Progressions

“…, 2001 ; Sears et al. , 2007 ; Robic, 2010 ; Ngai and Sevian, 2018 ). This assertion is backed by the findings of Ebenezer and Fraser (2001) who demonstrated the difficulty of transferring fundamental chemistry concepts to a different field; in their case, engineering.…”

“…, 2012 ; Wolfson et al. , 2014 ; Warfa and Odowa, 2015 ; Ngai and Sevian, 2018 ). To understand the curricular structure of the biochemistry sequence as it pertains to acid–base chemistry, we began to develop a hypothetical learning progression (HLP).…”

“…We are particularly interested in how students learn and apply concepts from chemistry to biochemical contexts. This requires transfer of knowledge from course to course (general chemistry to organic chemistry to biochemistry) and from subject area to subject area (biology to chemistry; Wilson et al, 2006;Villafañe et al, 2011b;Haudek et al, 2012;Wolfson et al, 2014;Warfa and Odowa, 2015;Ngai and Sevian, 2018). To understand the curricular structure of the biochemistry sequence as it pertains to acid-base chemistry, we began to develop a hypothetical learning progression (HLP).…”

“…Different approaches to developing LPs have been taken in different contexts. Because biochemistry is a science that draws on concepts from both chemistry and biology, LPs for biochemistry will require integration of practices and concepts, with an emphasis on “cross-cutting” concepts ( Sevian and Talanquer, 2014 ; Ngai and Sevian, 2018 ). In the context of biochemistry, students who are struggling with fundamental concepts from chemistry will be ill-equipped to analyze more sophisticated processes such as protein folding and stability, metabolic flux, and ligand binding ( Grayson et al.…”

Exploration of Student Approaches to Creative Exercises in Undergraduate Biochemistry

“…More recent literature on creative exercises has seen a shift away from utilizing creative exercises as an individual assignment and have begun to incorporate them into classroom activities. − This transition to group activities was secondary to the focus of the prior study, but later publications would see the exercises as the focus of the paper. , Furthermore, later publications have also branched away from applying creative exercises as an intervention in introductory chemistry curricula. ,, This movement away from introductory chemistry led to two publications of creative exercises in biochemistry , and most recently their application in organic chemistry as well as inorganic chemistry. , …”