| Product Name: |
Glycolysis and Fermentation |
| Level: |
Second Year Tertiary |
| Platform: |
PC - Windows® |
| Supplied Information: |
Guided calculations plus assessment package for a laboratory exercise that runs three weeks. Students examine the alcoholic fermentation of grape juice and measure both alcohol and glucose concentration during fermentation. |
| Possible Use: |
This product is suitable for Second Year Tertiary courses for use by students in laboratory classes. |
| Price: |
$125 (site licence) |
| Developer/s: |
Dr Fred Pamula, Biological Sciences, Flinders University |
| Review: |
This software is designed to complement real experiments and can not be used as a stand alone system for learning. Data from real experiments are filled into a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet compares the data against programmed algorithms. For example the values of a glucose standard curve are used to calculate the conversion coefficient of spectrophotometric
values into glucose concentration. Experimental data can be entered by students and converted by using the previously established "standard curve". The objective of the program is to check the students entries and calculations against the calculated correct answer. The program gives feedback by either ticking (in the next column of the spreadsheet) for correct answers or crossing for errors. It has the advantage over traditional marking that
* it requires less time from the tutor
* gives instant feedback (while real tutors usually give feedback after several days or weeks.
Both of the above point have a real advantage for student learning. Rapid feedback is needed to allow students to learn from their own errors, and the time savings by automating the checking of students calculations frees up teaching time that can be spend on effective teaching (e.g. small group teaching) rather than marking.
The windows based help system is substantial and useful in guiding the students through the experiment and the processing of data. However the interactivity is limited to the usual hypertext connections.
Although the program is similar to a programmed spreadsheet it could possibly be upgraded to a stand alone learning tool by linking it to an interactive simulator (eg. written in Authorware, ToolBook or SuperCard) that generates the data to be analysed.
Because it is difficult to asses the program without actually having the laboratory data available, I could not see whether the programme was capable of giving specific comment as to why a particular result was wrong. It seems to me that this option might be lacking. For proper evaluation of the program the laboratory data must be available.
The title of the program could raise some expectations of true interactive multimedia software and could more adequately be called. "Automated instant marking for biochemistry laboratory experiments". |
|
Ralf Cord-Ruwisch, Murdoch University |
Other references
to this product: |
Apatite '94 Conference, |
| |
| Supplier: |
Computer Mediated Learning Unit,
Faculty of Science and Engineering,
Flinders University of SA,
GPO Box 2100, Adelaide SA 5001 |
|
http://cmlunit.fse.flinders.edu.au/ |
| Date Record Last Modified: |
6/1/98 |
