Dr. Hess worked with David Taylor and Michael Leahy in Educational Technologies to develop a tutorial program that provides a review of basic relationships among the major organic functional groups upon which biochemistry is grounded.
This program is used to help students recall relationships throughout the semester as they learn structures and functional groups that are provided on flash cards. As new structures are required, students may review the tutorial at locations in Wallace, Hillcrest, and Newman. Components of a molecular model program, MacMolecule, are included and allow students to visualize spatial arrangements among atoms. This feature promotes understanding about relationships among functional groups in amino acids, proteins, and sugars.During Spring 1995, with approximately 195 students, I have been able to demonstrate its use with the teaching stations available in both 223 Engel and 1870 Litton Reaves.
Limited time requires that I rely on student background as the basis for building biochemical concepts. If students flounder, I ask them to use the tutorial. I expect this base of information to be learned and used. Informal feedback from students has been encouraging. In 1994 there was minimal use. Less than 10% of the class used the program. Although there were technical difficulties getting the program running well at different locations (mainly color palette settings yielded strange behaviors), I am convinced that students, no matter how computer literate, need to see the program before they will consider its use. In 1995 I will seek some specific responses at the time of gathering the student perceptions of instruction.
For additional information:
jihess@vt.edu