A Paired Set of Biochemistry Writing Assignments Combining Core Threshold Concepts, Information Literacy, and Real-World Applications

• Jefferson D. Knight ^[1] ; Skylar Budd ^[1] ; Margaret Bruehl ^[1] ; Denise Pan ^[2]
  1. [1] University of Colorado Denver

     University of Colorado Denver

     Estados Unidos

     
  2. [2] University of Washington

     University of Washington

     Estados Unidos

     
• Localización: Journal of chemical education, ISSN 0021-9584, Vol. 98, Nº 12, 2021, págs. 3758-3766
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Scientific knowledge is growing rapidly, particularly in biochemistry, an interdisciplinary subject in which the courses attract diverse students with varied disciplinary interests and career goals. Thus, there is a need to teach skills and concepts in biochemistry in a way that is both compelling to a variety of learners and also relevant to careers in science, health, and related areas. This article describes a pair of literature-based group writing assignments developed for a two-semester biochemistry sequence with 30–50 students per section. Adaptable to application in many biochemistry courses, these projects reinforce core threshold concepts while teaching information literacy skills and connecting to biochemistry applications in medicine and technology. Strategies for structured instruction and management prior to and during work on the assignments are presented for instructors in order to maximize student success and impact. While writing assignments have become commonplace in upper-division biology courses, such a matched pair of mini-review assignments for a two-semester biochemistry sequence interweaving information literacy, core concepts, and applications has not been reported previously. Improved performance from the first to second semester indicates that these assignments help students learn skills that are useful for self-directed learning.