Uncovering students' incorrect ideas about foundational concepts for biochemistry

摘要: This paper presents preliminary data on how an assessment instrument with a unique structure can be used to identify common incorrect ideas from prior coursework at the beginning of biochemistry course, and determine whether these have changed by end course. The twenty-one multiple-choice items address seven different concepts, parallel for distractors across each set capture consistent responses. For current study, was administered as pre-test post-test in majors level courses, results two groups are presented. These indicated that students performed better post-test, resulting positive mean gain scores concept. allows analysis helped uncover persistent some including bond energy protein alpha helix structure, even after semester instruction biochemistry. idea uncovered this has not been reported before literature. confirm need use robust diagnostic assess students’ understanding basic concepts semester, but also stress near course insight effectiveness instruction. Since group is different, instructors encouraged problems their own incoming rather than rely published inform In addition providing assistance planning targeted instructional interventions, we anticipate collected potential modifications prerequisite courses.