Peer Review

The Winogradsky Column

Material Detail page

Reviewed:: Dec 19, 2018 by Biology

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:

The Russian bacteriologist Sergei Winogradsky invented the Winogradsky column, which recreates the microbial community that resides in pond mud. This animation details what the Winogradsky column is composed of as well as how it is used in the field.

Type of Material:

Animation

Recommended Uses:

In class during lecture, in an online learning module, or as homework prior to a flipped classroom

Technical Requirements:

Flashplayer and can be run on iOS devices Tested in Safari, Opera, and Chrome on OSX

Identify Major Learning Goals:

To learn the steps for constructing a Winogradsky column
To relate the types of bacteria enriched in different layers to the gradients of oxygen and sulfur in the column
To understand how some bacteria use each others’ metabolic products in a cooperative fashion to result in diverse microbial communities
To recognize that different bacteria species have different metabolic requirements and require different types of energy inputs (ex, light vs. chemicals)

Target Student Population:

undergraduate, upper level microbiology.

Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:

Students will need basic computer navigational skills (enter URL, click play button, etc.). Otherwise, the interface is very user-friendly. Prerequisite knowledge includes an understanding of certain concepts and vocabulary, like ecological niche, aerobic vs. anaerobic vs. microaerophiles, organic molecules, electron donors, carbon fixation, etc.

Content Quality

Rating:

Strengths:

Clear animation and description of creating a Wingradsky column.
The processes by which organisms form layers in pond mud.
Short and to the point, includes good examples of different bacteria in the most common layers.
Does a good job indicating microbial cooperation and explaining why the gas concentration gradients control the growth in different layers.

Concerns:

At one point, the microaerophilic zone is indicated by a label, but the term microaerophile and how it is different from aerobic and anaerobic bacteria is never described or even alluded to.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:

Strengths:

Brief and to the point
Easy to integrate into lessons
Good way to build on concepts like oxygen preferences and the diversity of microbial metabolism.

Concerns:

Does not identify learning objectives or prerequisite knowledge.
Does not reinforce contents with a summary at the end
No way to grade or assess student knowledge

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:

Strengths:

Colorful animation
Clear sound and narration

Concerns:

No captions for hearing-impaired students
Not interactive in any way, other than students being able to pause, rewind, and play when necessary
Would be improved by a picture at the end of a real-life column, rather than just the simplified animated drawing

Other Issues and Comments:: This does appear to be one of many animations on the company's website (Sumanas, Inc). They have quite a few biology related videos and animations posted: http://sumanasinc.com/webcontent/animations/microbiology.html
Creative Commons: