Faculty Innovation in Teaching Program

2003 Award

Technological Modernization to Improve Student Learning & Instruction in Two Biochemistry Courses at Cornell

Faculty Advisory Board on Information Technologies (FABIT), Peter Hinkle and Jim Blankenship, Arts and Sciences

Summary

In the “auto-tutorial” course, Biochemistry 330, students have a printed manual that guides them through self-study activities using the textbook and resources in the course room study. A group of forty teaching assistants is available to help students master the content. The recent explosion in the field of structural biology has shown that enzymes are extremely complex 3-D molecules. This grant proposes to enhance the course by adding Web-based activities that incorporate 3-D visualization of proteins as well as more interactive animations.

Instructional challenges

• Printed materials don’t give students a full appreciation for the 3-D nature of molecules.
• Instructors need a better way to communicate and share course material with the students in the absence of regularly scheduled meeting times.
• Instructors have to spend a disproportionate amount of time on administrative tasks.

Technology solutions

• Increase use of computer-based 3-D models, simulations, and tutorials to enhance the study materials.
• Move course communication and all course documents and resources to CourseInfo course management software.
• Automate administrative tasks such as processing teaching assistant applications, student grades, and course evaluations with Web-based forms.

Development highlights

• Course instructors selected twelve online activities from external sources that would enhance the course.
• Developed two custom activities on protein evolution using a combination of Flash and CHIME for visualizing proteins in 3-D.
• Consolidated course documents, links, gradebook, announcements, and discussion boards in a CourseInfo Web site.

©2005 Cornell University

The Faculty Innovation in Teaching Program is supported by the Office of the President and the Provost. Project development is provided by Academic Technology Services and User Support (ATSUS), a division of Cornell Information Technologies, IT.