Syris Learning Modules 2001-2002: Enzyme Activity and Computer Modeling

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2000-2001

2001-2002
* The Power of the Exponent
* A Treasure Lost
* Breathless
* Evolution: The Only Constant is Change
* Enzyme Activity and Computer Modeling
* Earth Fissures
* Aerobic Metabolism
* The Science of Survival
* Tailpipe Emissions

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2001-2002 SyRIS Science Module Collection

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Module Title:

Enzyme Activity and Computer Modeling

Faculty Team Members (Discipline):

Jennifer Chang (Chemistry), Ui Luu (Technology Systems), Angela Mick (Biology), and Steve Williams (Biology)

College:

Glendale Community College

Student Group Targeted:

First year (non-majors) Biology, first year (non-majors) Chemistry and Programming for Technology

How Will the SyRIS Goals Be Met?

Interdisciplinary Component: While enzyme activity is a biology topic, understanding the reaction dynamics is a chemistry topic. We have identified a set of core concepts common to biology and chemistry. Programming students use a predetermined set of parameters to create a computer model of the enzyme activity that the biology and chemistry students use in their study of this topic. We have developed instructional materials that can be used in all three disciplines.

Active Learning Strategies:

Constructivist-based instruction
Hands-on activities/demonstrations
Collaborative learning groups
Inquiry laboratory
Critical thinking to interpret developed computer models
Problem Based Learning

Module Overview:

Background: Students in introductory biology and chemistry classes often have difficulty understanding many aspects of enzymes and their activities. Since the physiology of organisms is based on the existence and speed of chemical reactions, it is essential to understand enzyme activity in order to understand how life can exist. As students discover the importance of enzymes (biology) and catalysts (chemistry), they are better prepared to apply their knowledge to real world applications.

Reaction kinetics is a difficult topic for most non-majors chemistry students in part because it is an intangible topic. Also typical introductory chemistry classes briefly review reaction rates without many "real life" examples or relation to other areas besides chemistry.

To engage students in programming for technology, our approach is to present to them an application that they need to program to achieve prescribed requirements. The active learning aspect is that in the process of constructing the solutions, they acquire different programming techniques.

Intended Use:This module is intended to replace current "lecture" and laboratory activities on enzyme structure and function in introductory biology courses and reaction kinetics and catalysts in introductory chemistry courses. The core information in regards to enzymes is still be presented, but students are expected to manipulate that information via various models (hands-on, minds-on, and computer) to intensify understanding. Use of the knowledge gleaned from the classroom enables students to design and conduct their own laboratory experiments to demonstrate the importance of enzyme structure and function.

Programming students receive inputs from biology and chemistry class as program requirements. The program requirements establish a problem based learning process where students must acquire the learning objectives to meet the requirements. The result is a computer model of enzyme activity, which is used as a tool to complement the biology and chemistry classroom activities.

Potential Significance: Our developed and relevant activities give biology and chemistry students more concrete experiences with the concepts of reaction rates and enzyme activity. These experiences leave students with a better understanding of these relatively abstract concepts and extend these ideas to other related science topics.

The students will be able to:

Apply information learned to real world situations.
Use a computer model to generate data.
Interpret graphical data both statistically and geometrically.
Use the scientific process in the design and conduction of an experiment.
Apply various programming techniques to meet the requirements that established by biology and chemistry class. This will emulate a real problem-based programming environment as they work in the industry.

Module Objectives

Biology and Chemistry -- Students will be able to:

Illustrate the relationship between the shape of enzymes and their specificity for substrates.
Describe the effect of enzymes on lowering the activation energy and use energy profiles to support these effects.
Use a computer model to generate data and interpret data both statistically and geometrically.
Design and conduct a laboratory experiment using the scientific process based on the results of a computer model.
Apply the principles of enzyme activity to real world situations.

Chemistry -- Students will be able to:

Define rate of reaction and explain how it could be measured.
Describe how collisions of molecules affect the reaction rate. (Frequency, geometry, energy, etc.)

Technology Systems -- Students will be able to:

Translate a program requirement to flow chart format for programming.
Design a control panel and display.
Read user inputs for program variables.
Perform math functions.
Display program output variables.
Display digitized images in bitmap or jpeg formats.
Code and troubleshoot program to achieve the required logics.
Verify system performance to meet the program requirements.

Module Materials:

see full record from Maricopa Learning eXchange (MLX)

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This project is supported, in part, by the National Science Foundation
www.nsf.org