Peer Review

Gram Positive vs Gram Negative

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Overview:: This is site shows the differences between gram negative and gram positive bacteria. The user will learn what each structure looks like and their general information. Also included is a procedure on how to perform a gram negative and gram positive stain.
Type of Material:: This site includes a tutorial video and can be used as reference material.
Recommended Uses:: This would be great lecture and lab material, particular as a review to identify gram negative and gram positive bacteria.
Technical Requirements:: This site requires an Internet connection and a browser such as Google or Firefox.
Identify Major Learning Goals:: The goal of this site is to teach the user the differences between gram negative and gram postive bacteria.
Target Student Population:: The target student population includes those in College General Education as well as Lower Divistion Biology Classes, particularly pre-health profession students.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:: A basic knowledge of bacteria and biology are needed to understand this material. Users will benefit more from this site with some background information on prokaryotic shapes and arrangements.

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Strengths:

The information is accurate and provides a good basic background about the material
The graphics of Gram positive and Gram negative cells are useful, as is the image of the Gram stain
The content is well organized for the bacteria addressed
Images beautiful and very colorful
Each step is clearly shown
The information is a comprehensive survey of what may be studied for this topic

Concerns:

Braun’s protein in the table seems to be an outdated term, and would be better described as LPP (lipoprotein). LPP is found in both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. The difference is where it is anchored. In Gram negative bacteria LPPs are anchored to both the cytoplasmic and outer membranes. In Gram positive bacteria LPPs are anchored to only the cytoplasmic membrane. The table could be updated to reflect this language and the usage of LPPs.
The table mentions some Listeria members are gram positive. It is documented that all Listeria are Gram positive. The word ‘some’ should be removed.
Some of the phrasing is awkward and could be more succinct.
The rules of binomial nomenclature are followed in some examples, though not all examples.

Rating:

Strengths:

This is a good site for getting an idea of what might be seen in lab
The description of the Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria is built upon with compare/contrast tables and images
Information provided helps students understand the relatedness of the topics
Information within and between topics flows very well
The Gram staining protocol links the purpose of each step of the stain to what the function of the reagents
The material is logically presented
Material promotes conceptual understanding

Concerns:

Learning objectives are not explicitly given, though an instructor could add these for students
Prerequisite knowledge is not identified by this resource
The embedded video ‘Gram Positive vs Gram Negative: What’s the difference’ is very vague. It shows unhelpful images (of scientists not clearly doing anything related to Gram staining) with music in the background. There isn’t any narration or explanation of how the components of the Gram stain work. The pictures that are shown are red bacillus Gram negative cells when the words on top of the image are describing purple Gram positive cocci, which is misleading and incorrect. I would recommend removing this video or finding a more accurate/informative option.
There is an option to download the article or to listen to it via Speechify. Both options require the user to sign up for email communications from technology networks. This should be optional not mandatory.
In the Gram staining protocol it suggests using a pencil to label the glass slide - this should be edited to state using a grease pencil which is better for labeling glass slides.

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There is a note on the table that says to use the scroll bar at the bottom to view more, but in both Chrome and Firefox there wasn’t an apparent scroll bar. Perhaps this note could be removed.

Other Issues and Comments:: The structure of this tutorial is to build on concepts (differences between Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria are detailed before discussing the Gram stain) and the concepts are reinforced and linked (what bacterial structure is important for a specific step in the Gram stain. Good job!
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