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| Reviewed: |
Jul 31, 2008 by Biology Editorial Board |
| Overview: |
This site has numerous animations covering the common topics of an introductory Biology course including: mitosis, meiosis, evolution of organelles, kidney, reflex arcs, stem cells, protein structure, lac operon, independent assortment, moss life cycle, HIV, The Meselson-Stahl Experiment, photosynthesis, in vitro fertilization, Independent Assortment and Gamete Diversity, gel electrophoresis, DNA chips, pregnancy tests, vesicle budding and fusing, and electron transport. The animations were all made by Sumanas, Inc., an animations studio, for various textbooks, including: Sadava, et al., Life: The Science of Biology, Eighth Edition; Cain, et al., Discover Biology, Third Edition; rts, et al., Essential Cell Biology, Second Edition; Purves, et al., Life: The Science of Biology, Seventh Edition; Audesirk et al., Biology: Life on Earth, Eighth Edition; and Alberts, et al., Molecular Biology of the Cell, Fifth Edition. The most complete animations have a step-through mode with text descriptions of each step in the animation, a narrated version of the animation, and two to four multiple choice quiz questions at the end. Unfortunately, some of the animations do not have the quizzes, and some are missing both the quizzes and the voice-over version. Coverage is also erratic with some major topics, such as meiosis and mitosis getting strong treatments, while other topics are not covered at all (ecology, evolution) or incompletely (physiology, molecular biology). |
| Learning Goals: |
Learn the basic principles of cell division, embryonic stem cells, kidney and ovary function, blood flow through hearts, life cycles of angiosperms and mosses, nerve function, simple behaviors, photosynthesis and electron transport, life cycle of HIV, inflammatory responses, polyribosomes, construction of DNA libraries and Gel electrophoresis, scientific experiments and pulse-chase experiments, the Lac operon, protein secretion, vesicle budding, evolution of organelles, and detail of the Meselson-Stahl experiment. |
| Target Student Population: |
Introductory biology students |
| Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills: |
Basic biology |
| Type of Material: |
Flash animations |
| Recommended Uses: |
As a supplement to static lecture and text descriptions |
| Technical Requirements: |
Flash plugin |
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| Strengths: |
- High quality animations of a large variety of topics.
- Useful animations for most intro bio courses.
- Technically accurate
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| Concerns: |
- Quality of animations varies significantly, with some being excellent (Meselson-Stahl) to others that are are missing components such as quizzes or the voice-over
- Coverage of topics is random
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Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool |
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| Strengths: |
- The Meselson-Stahl
experiment demonstrates how quiz questions can be built into the animation so that that it is an interactive experience with prompt feedback on student learning
- Most of the animations have a slow-step though mode with text explanations and a voice-over version for students with different learning styles
- Illustrate conceptually difficult concepts.
- Easy for students to control the pace and repeat anything they are unclear on
- Built-in quizzes, when available, give prompt feedback, some have hints to aid students, and they can keep choosing answers until they get the correct answer
- Most activities are useful in undergraduate courses, and a teacher could make assignments based on the animations.
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| Concerns: |
- Not all animations include quizzes
- Most quizzes are simple multiple choice questions at the end of the animation
- Follows a very linear process, not much opportunity for students to explore different avenues or directions.
- No follow up of measuring higher order thinking skills, or student ability to apply concepts learned to problem solving.
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Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty |
| Rating: |
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| Strengths: |
- Load easily and run smoothly.
- Text explanations with each animation help students understand what is happening at each step.
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| Concerns: |
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