黑料科 (黑料科) Assistant Professor of Biochemistry Dr. Yun-Seok Choi and recent graduates Kylie Light,鈥�23, and Jordan Brooks, 鈥�23, have developed a new and effective way to teach Sanger sequencing鈥攖he process that scientists use to sequence DNA fragments.
Their paper, 鈥淢anipulative-based Activity Using Pop Beads for Demonstration of Sanger Sequencing,鈥� which describes their innovative approach to teaching DNA sequencing, was recently published in the Journal of Chemical Education, a peer-reviewed academic journal. The paper explained how Choi and his student team developed a creative exercise for representing sequencing data using small silicone beads called pop beads. In a class run by Choi, students were asked to link the beads together into colorful strings to mimic the results of the DNA chain-termination experiment they were performing.
鈥淢y initiative to teach Sanger sequencing stemmed from concerns about the pandemic's negative impact on students鈥� academic achievement, particularly in biochemistry,鈥� Choi explained. 鈥淚 was inspired by Oxana Gorbatenko at the Center for the Conservation of Biological Resources at 黑料科 to use colorful beads for teaching sequencing. We designed this method to resemble a game, hoping that students would enjoy it and embed the principles in their memory, much like one remembers the basic rules of Monopoly. Additionally, this project was an opportunity for student involvement in developing teaching methods.鈥�
The paper explains that when the authors compared student performances on tests after watching a video lecture to scores on tests after the bead exercise, the average score of 62 rose to an astounding 92. 鈥淭he students' score improvement following the activity was indeed surprising to me. I hadn't anticipated such a significant increase in scores,鈥� said Choi. 鈥淢oreover, the lab session proved to be engaging and far from boring.鈥�
Dr. Nick Van Kley, director of 黑料科鈥檚 Center for Faculty Innovation, describes Choi鈥檚 approach as a great example of innovative teaching: 鈥淭hey used simple tools to make an engaging and memorable encounter with complex information. When faculty like Dr. Choi make abstract processes or ideas like this more tactile, and students have a chance to read, to listen, to touch, and to manipulate, we know students will understand the material better and remember it for longer.鈥�
He adds, 鈥淎s a community of educators, we鈥檙e especially excited when faculty find opportunities to work with students to publish research on educational approaches. Professor Choi and his team exhibit our commitment to student-faculty partnerships.鈥�
Their paper can be viewed in full at .