Peer Review

Protein Synthesis | NOVA Labs | PBS

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Reviewed:: Feb 15, 2022 by Biology

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:

Protein synthesis in the Cellular Factory. This resource contains videos that walk students through the process of protein synthesis as well as a game involving building a protein. This is part of a series of videos about RNA and RNA function.

Type of Material:

Video tutorial

Recommended Uses:

In class activity or lab, or homework. Appears better as an individual activity, though it could be adapted to group work. Definitely takes 2+ hours to complete all the puzzles, so only useful in-class for 90-minute periods or if teacher only assigns the first of the the three trials

Technical Requirements:

A browser such as Chrome or Firefox is required. May use Flash for some portions.

Identify Major Learning Goals:

To understand the diverse roles of different types of RNA in gene expression
To understand the steps of transcription and translation, and where they occur inside a cell
To link proper RNA structure to its function
To recognize which nucleotides pair up in RNA to forms its proper structure
To understand the RNA origin of life hypothesis and how it fits into theories about life’s evolution on earth
To learn how viruses hijack cellular gene expression machinery for their own reproduction
To describe the role of RNAi, including DICER, in antiviral defense and biotechnology applications
To understand the role of enzymes like RNAse in proper functioning of RNA in a cellTo recognize that RNA molecules will fold to assume the structure with the lowest free energy.

Target Student Population:

College Lower Division, College Upper Division (I would only use this for high schoolers if they were in AP Biology or a Concurrent Enrollment College-Level genetics class)

Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:

Students will need basic computer navigational skills (enter URL, click and drag bar). Otherwise, the interface is very user-friendly and does a great job of introducing students to everything they need to know to complete the challenges.

Content Quality

Rating:

Strengths:

This is the first in a series of three videos that lay out the structure and function of RNA molecules in an easy to understand way.
The animations are simple and well designed to hold viewer interest.
Students can engage with the content by completing RNA building challenges.

Concerns:

Refers to RNA polymerase as a “protein machine” instead of using its name
Refers to nucleotides as “RNA building blocks” instead of using the actual names, though this is rectified in the puzzles
Refers to codons as “pieces of code” without additional detail.In the simulation/game that follows the videos, nearly all emphasis is on RNA structure, without additional exploration of function
Would be better if the actual 3D shape of RNA molecules featured a few times, instead of only the flattened 2D versions.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:

Strengths:

This resource includes an educator's guide with tips and learning objectives
Each video includes questions to check student comprehension
Videos are short and can easily be integrated into existing lessons
Concepts build progressively, giving students time to master them
Gives students a LOT of practice working with the concepts

Concerns:

Does not specifically identify learning objectives or prerequisite knowledge
It was not clear to me why it was important to “boost” the loops or how that contributes to self-replication until the very final trial
VERY long to get through
Teachers could circumvent this by only assigning Trial 1 and requesting that students send a selfie with their face and the badge earned at the end or only using it for an in-class virtual lab type of experience.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:

Strengths:

The hints/instructions for the different puzzles in the game are very helpful
I did not get lost and could always complete all the puzzles
Highly interactive, very clear and engaging, high design quality, fantastic resource
Transcripts for videos are easily accessible
Badges for completion of trials provide a goal for students

Concerns:

None

Other Issues and Comments:: At the end of the tutorial (which takes 2-3 hours to complete), there is this message: “Guest, it has been an honor working with you. Remember your pal VirtuaBot on your journey to greatness. You are now ready to join a community of RNA engineers on the Eterna website, where the RNA puzzles you solve will help scientists learn how RNA molecules fold in life—find out how here. One day, the best designs could become the basis of life-saving molecular machines. You have earned 5,000 points by completing the VirtuaLab trials. These points will be transferred when you register to play the Eterna game.”
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