An interactive game in which students must successfully control the cell cycle. Steps include cell division, cell destruction, cell growth, chromosome separation and chromosome replication. Students also need to control checkpoints for DNA replication and damage before allowing the cell to proceed through division. Players direct a CDK/cyclin worker who controls a skin cell that has received a signal to divide due to the destruction of a neighboring cell. The program presents a standard 'clock-like' representation of the cell cycle with the G1, S, G2 and M phases in place of hours and a single hand to show where the cell is in the cycle. the player chooses what cell activity should happen next from a list of possible activities, such as "cell growth," "chromosome separation," etc. If the correct choice is chosen, the cell progresses through the next phase of the cell cycle. An incorrect choice leads to a warning and a message that the cell will self-destruct in 10 seconds unless the correct option is selected. Failure a second time leads to the destruction of the cell, and the player must start over. At the end of G1 and G2, and in the middle of M, the user must also select the checks to be done for that checkpoint, however, only the correct choices can be made for these. The check for DNA integrity fails and the user must then select the command to repair the chromosome, but again, has no choice.
Type of Material:
Interactive game.
Recommended Uses:
As a supplementary exercise to increase student familiarity with the cell cycle
Technical Requirements:
flash plugin
Identify Major Learning Goals:
Learn the key phases in the cell cycle, what occurs during each phase, and some of the checks done at the checkpoints to ensure a successful division.
Target Student Population:
High School or undergraduate.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
None
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
Playing the game once or twice will introduce the terminology for the phases of the cell cycle and the basic checks done at the checkpoints in the cell cycle
Has simple descriptions of the phases of the cell cycle and the checkpoints
After 'winning' the game students can view a video of a cell dividing, showing the chromosomes lining up and separating
Concerns:
While CDK and cyclin are mentioned, and the worker the user controls has their label, there is no explanation of what these are or how they work
The animation of "Chromosome separation" stops in the middle so the student can select the "chromosomes attached to spindle"
action for checkpoint 3, but then doesn't finish separating the chromosomes. If the student then chooses "Chromosome separation" again, as the chromosomes haven't actually separated, the program claims this is an incorrect choice and force the student to choose "Cell separation" instead.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
Explanations are clear and relevant.
There is some interactivity, and there is a context given for the cell division, so this should be more interesting than just reading about the cell cycle
Gives students feedback if they choose the wrong answer.
Concerns:
Student gets very little choice (program could provide a list of all possible check point options also, for instance), and the game is the same every time, so students will only go through it once or twice (could have different error appear for the checkpoints each time)
Some more background information would be useful for students to better appreciate the choices they make.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
Controls are easy to use, game is very linear, so it is hard to mess up
Can easily replay if wrong choices are made
High quality graphics, easy to use, loads quickly.
Could make an a assignment that uses this site.
Concerns:
None
Creative Commons:
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