Dr. Silke Krämer
Overview
It is often a challenge to keep classes interested in scientific topics and not to lose the overview, particularly with typically large classes of up to 30 students. This is why I developed an extensive repertoire of Experience-Oriented Learning scenarios for biology and chemistry. I usually use Pipeline in class only after I have dealt in detail with a complex topic, i.e. the curriculum material, over several lessons. At the end of the lesson, all of the individual findings are to be brought together in a hands-on experiment and anchored permanently in the students’ minds.
Topic: protein biosynthesis in the chemistry lesson
Staging: in the protein laboratory “Probios”
a. Preparation
A target container is placed in the center of the room, surrounded by a group of chairs.
b. Performance
I introduced the class to the following scenario: “Please imagine that you are now employees in the protein laboratory ‘Probios.’ Your task is to produce a small protein consisting of three amino acids, whereby one amino acid is always encoded by three bases. Three teams will each start from their own corner of the room. Please split up and go and stand in these three corners. (I point to the three corners.) Each team must transport three balls, each corresponding to three bases of an amino acid, to this container in the center of the room. It is important that all three teams get the balls to the target preferably at the same time. On the way, you have to get past the cell nucleus membrane (I point to the group of chairs around the target, which acts as an obstacle), because the bases have to get from the nucleus into the cytoplasm to synthesize proteins!”
Transfer to the real World
| Elements in the learning project | Elements in the real world |
|---|---|
| Half-pipes for each team | Represent a gene segment on which the bases are encoded |
| 3 x 3 balls | Symbolize 3 different bases per amino acid |
| Group of chairs surrounding the target area | Represent the cell membrane |
| 3 different start points | The 3 different amino acids |
| Balls in the target area | Protein made of 3 amino acids is fully synthesized |
| Reaching the target area at the same time | Amino acids are produced simultaneously in the cell |
Reflection
The students were able to consolidate the individual lesson units into one overarching context and integrate the units into the overall process. They were not only able to consolidate the factual content, but also gain a much better understanding of the complex process as a whole, since they experienced the process with all their senses. The reflection focused on the learning content.
Conclusion
The participants acted with enthusiasm and curiosity, even though they were very competitive at the beginning of the activity. In the reflection following the learning project, the students stated how motivated they were toward the topic and that they had gained a much broader understanding of protein biosynthesis. When carrying out the project, the students realized that they not only had to coordinate very well with each other, but that effective and clear communication was also very important for achieving the goals quickly and concertedly.