An Education Group Experiment:

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An Education Group Experiment Innovation,
Concepts, and 3D Visualization Graham C.
Walker Massachusetts Institute of
Technology Cambridge MA
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Three major points
An Education Group Summarize my experiment of
running an Education Group during my tenure as an
HHMI Professor. Lesson learned and
opportunities to generalize the
concept. Innovation Discuss Biology Concept
Framework. A strategy for coping with the so
many concepts problem of teaching biology. 3D
Visualization Discuss the development of
StarBiochem, an freely software application that
allows facile viewing of the structures of
protein and nucleic acids.
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Genesis of the Education Group Concept
My ongoing educational efforts I was already
directing a HHMI-funded grant that supports
undergraduate education in the biological
sciences. Includes undergraduate research
(UROP), advanced undergraduate (project) labs,
programs to foster the involvement of
underrepresented minorities in science, high
school outreach, etc.
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Genesis of the Education Group Concept
My ongoing educational efforts I was already
directing a HHMI-funded grant that supports
undergraduate education in the biological
sciences. Includes undergraduate research
(UROP), advanced undergraduate (project) labs,
programs to foster the involvement of
underrepresented minorities in science, high
school outreach, etc. The opportunity Introductor
y Biology has been a requirement for all MIT
undergraduates since 1994. After years of
successfully teaching advanced undergraduate
project labs and smaller advanced undergrad
classes I was confronting the many problems of
teaching a large lecture class in Introductory
Biology.
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Genesis of the Education Group Concept
My ongoing educational efforts I was already
directing a HHMI-funded grant that supports
undergraduate education in the biological
sciences. Includes undergraduate research
(UROP), advanced undergraduate (project) labs,
programs to foster the involvement of
underrepresented minorities in science, high
school outreach, etc. The opportunity Introductor
y Biology has been a requirement for all MIT
undergraduates since 1994. After years of
successfully teaching advanced undergraduate
project labs and smaller advanced undergrad
classes I was confronting the many problems of
teaching a large lecture class in Introductory
Biology. How to go about it? Why not approach
educational innovation the same way that we
approach research?
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Jane Glazebrook (Plant Defense Responses)
Steve Elledge (Mammalian Genetics)
Steve Winans (Quorum Sensing)
A RESEARCH GROUP
Brad Smith (Bioterrorism Policy)
Cynthia Kenyon (Aging)
1. Provides a stimulating interactive environment
that fosters innovative approaches to
Science 2. Trains young scientists to become
Researchers 3. Leverages my effort in Science
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Melissa Kosinski-Collins
Mandana Sassanfar
Julia Khodor
AN EDUCATION GROUP
Michelle Mischke
Dina Halme
1. Provides a stimulating interactive environment
that fosters innovative approaches to
Education 2. Trains young scientists to become
Educators 3. Leverages my effort in Education
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Extended HHMI Education Group
a seed crystal dropped into a saturated solution
of interest in education

• Core HHMI Education Group
• 2) Interested grad students and postdocs
• 3) MIT faculty with expertise in education
• e.g. Eric Klopfer (Teacher Education
  Program)
• Rudy Mitchell (Assessment)
• Chuck Shubert (MIT Office of
  EIT)
• Jon King (Biology)
• John Belcher (Physics TEAL)
• 4) Other Boston area institutions
• e.g. Brian White (U Mass, Boston)
• Shoumita Dasgupta (Boston Univ)
• Helen Donis-Keller (Olin)

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Extended HHMI Education Group
a seed crystal dropped into a saturated solution
of interest in education

• Core HHMI Education Group
• 2) Interested grad students and postdocs
• 3) MIT faculty with expertise in education
• e.g. Eric Klopfer (Teacher Education
  Program)
• Rudy Mitchell (Assessment)
• Chuck Shubert (MIT Office of
  EIT)
• Jon King (Biology)
• John Belcher (Physics TEAL)
• 4) Other Boston area institutions
• e.g. Brian White (U Mass, Boston)
• Shoumita Dasgupta (Boston Univ)
• Helen Donis-Keller (Olin)

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HHMI Education Group
Introductory Biology (large lecture courses)
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Creating an Culture of Education Innovations
in Undergraduate Biology Education Seminar
Series
Jo Handelsman Graham Hatfull Robert
Full Richard Losick Mary Lidstrom Michael
Summers Isiah Warner
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Creating an Culture of Education Group
Meetings Attendance usually 20-25. Members of
the extended HHMI Group who have spoken
include Brian White (U Mass, Boston) -
"Exploring Inquiry-based Teaching Through the Red
and White Yeast Lab Jonathan King (MIT) - "High
Stakes Tests in the Context of Public
Education" Eric Klopfer (MIT) - "Augmented
Reality Simulations - Developing educational
location based games and gaming platform to use
real world scenarios to build deep understanding
of systems." Tom Knight (MIT) - "Teaching
Engineers to Build Biological Systems." Kathy
Vandiver, Katy Wack, and Amy Fitzgerald (MIT) -
"K-12 Environmental health education. Shoumita
Dasgupta (Boston U) - "Active Learning Strategies
in Graduate Genetics." Helen Donis-Keller
(Olin).
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Finding HHMI Education Group Website http//www
.cfkeep.org/html/snapshot.php?id79434230
Google HHMI Education Group
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Introductory Biology at MIT
Intro Biol made
Intro Biol
Institute Req
(Salvador Luria)
ca. 1100 students total/year Lecture/Recitation
section/Problems 3 equivalent versions per
year 2/3 common core, plus flavor Eric
Lander/Bob Weinberg Tyler Jacks/Hazel Sive Graham
Walker/Penny Chisholm
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Introductory Biology at MIT
ca. 900 students total/year Lecture/Recitation
section/Problems 3 equivalent versions per
year 2/3 common core, plus flavor Eric
Lander/Bob Weinberg Tyler Jacks/Hazel Sive Graham
Walker/Penny Chisholm
SO MANY CONCEPTS even in Introductory Biology!!
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A Hierarchical Institutional Biology Concept
Framework
Key Features 1. Institutional 2.
Hierarchical 3. Cross-referenced
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A Hierarchical Institutional Biology Concept
Framework
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A Hierarchical Institutional Biology Concept
Framework
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1-1
1-2
1-3
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A Hierarchical Institutional Biology Concept
Framework
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1-1
1-1-1
1-1-2
1-2
1-2-1
1-2-2
1-3
1-3-1
1-3-2
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A Hierarchical Institutional Biology Concept
Framework
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1-1
1-1-1
1-1-1-1
1-1-1 2
1-2
1-2-1
1-2-2
1-2-2-1
1-3
1-3-1
1-3-2
1-3-2-1
2 3 4
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7. DNA is the source of heritable information in
a cell.
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7. DNA is the source of heritable information in
a cell. 7-1. The amino acid sequence of
proteins is encoded in DNA. 7-2.
Information is encoded in DNA, using different
languages that are recognized by different
machinery. 7-3. When DNA is mutated, the
information it contains may be changed. 7-4.S
egments of DNA that contain all of the
information to encode the sequence of a
product and regulate its expression are called
genes.
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7. DNA is the source of heritable information in
a cell. 7-1. The amino acid sequence of proteins
is encoded in DNA. 7-1-1. Sets of three
letters in the nucleic acid alphabet (that
consists of 4 letters) specify one letter in
the protein alphabet (that consists of 20
letters). 7-2. Information is encoded in
DNA, using different languages that are
recognized by different machinery. 7-2-1. DNA
encodes when a gene will be expressed or
not. 7-2-2. DNA encodes the point at which
replication begins. 7-2-3. t-RNA acts an
adaptor to translate the nucleotide sequence
into an amino acid sequence. 7-2-4. DNA encodes
the information to properly segregate
chromosomes during cell division. 7-2-5. DNA
encodes the cellular address of each
protein. 7-2-6. DNA encodes restriction
endonucleases recognition sites. 7-3. When
DNA is mutated, the information it contains may
be changed.
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7. DNA is the source of heritable information in
a cell. 7-1. The amino acid sequence of proteins
is encoded in DNA. 7-1-1. Sets of three
letters in the nucleic acid alphabet (that
consists of 4 letters) specify one letter in
the protein alphabet (that consists of 20
letters) 7-1-1-1. 64 triplet codons ATG
initiating methionine, 3 Stop codons, 60
other codons for the remaining 19 amino
acids 7-2. Information is encoded in DNA, using
different languages that are recognized by
different machinery. 7-2-1. DNA encodes when a
gene will be expressed or not 7-2-1-1. DNA
sequence promoter, operator, enhancer 7-2
-1-2. Protein machinery activator,
repressor, transcription factors 7-2-2.
DNA encodes the point at which replication
begins 7-2-2-1. DNA sequence origin of
replication (ori). 7-2-2-2. Protein
machinery origin recognition complexes
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• Uses for the Biology Concept Framework
• 1) Organize course material
• 2) Coordinate material across courses
• 3) Improve teaching of course material
• 4) Guide creation of new curricular materials
• 5) Create assessment tools

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Cell Biology Education 3 111-121 (2004)
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First Time in International Biology Olympiad
History!! U.S. Four-Member Team -- Four Gold
Medals
Brisbane, Australia, July 2004In an
unprecedented feat of accomplishment in the 15
years of the International Biology Olympiad
Competition, the USA Team will bring home four
Gold medals. According to the Center for
Excellence in Education, sponsor of the USA
Biology Olympiad, no nation, including the U.S.,
has previously attained such extraordinary
success. This is the second year of U.S.
participation in the International competition.
Approximately 160 students representing 40
countries competed in this rigorous competition,
held this year in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
HHMI Education Group helped design and edit
2004, 2005, and 2006 exams stressing
concepts. Melissa Kosinski-Collins helped to
train 2005 team. Melissa and Julia Khodor helped
in 2006.
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Concept-Centered Teaching
2005 Fall Julia Khodor 2006 Spring Melissa
Kosinski-Collins 2006 Fall Julia Khodor This
weekly seminar course focuses on developing the
participants' ability to uncover and confront
student misconceptions and to foster student
understanding and retention of key concepts.
Participants read primary literature on science
education, uncover basic concepts often
overlooked when teaching biology, and lead a
small weekly discussion session for students
currently enrolled in introductory biology
classes. Full Curriculum available on MITs
OpenCourseWare
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Concept-Driven Voluntary Lab in Introductory
Biology (based on Biology Concept Framework)

• Experiments/activities that address concepts from
  
• the Biology Concept Framework
• Labs that interweave to tell a story
• Build the course around several key ideas
• Build each session around several big ideas
• Make abstract concepts tangible, encourage
  learning in non-lecture format, expose students
  to scientific method in action, convey excitement
  of performing experiments

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Cell Biology Education 5 41-51 (2006)
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1 cell
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1 cell
2 cells
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1 cell
4 cells
2 cells
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Problems with Teaching 3D Protein Structure
Viewers designed for education - Limited power
and features. Some require teacher to write
script. Viewers designed for professional use -
Interfaces are too complicated. Students get
lost.
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Problems with Teaching 3D Protein Structure
Viewers designed for education - Limited power
and features. Some require teacher to write
script. Viewers designed for professional use -
Interfaces are too complicated. Students get
lost. Idea 1 Use powerful 3D viewer but
provide lots of help
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Problems with Teaching 3D Protein Structure
Viewers designed for education - Limited power
and features. Some require teacher to write
script. Viewers designed for professional use -
Interfaces are too complicated. Students get
lost. Idea 1 Use a powerful 3D viewer but
provide lots of help Idea 2 Use a powerful 3D
viewer, but overlay an interface
simple enough for students to use
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Problems with Teaching 3D Protein Structure
Viewers designed for education - Limited power
and features. Some require teacher to write
script. Viewers designed for professional use -
Interfaces are too complicated. Students get
lost. Idea 1 Use a powerful 3D viewer but
provide lots of help Idea 2 Use a powerful 3D
viewer, but overlay an interface
simple enough for students to use Idea 3 Build
a powerful 3D viewer in an education-friendly
environment that allows control of the
interface
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StarBiochem A Powerful 3D Viewer Designed for
Educational Uses Built in the TEALsim computing
environment designed for teaching 3D
physics Interface designed for educational
uses Platform-independent, downloadable Powerful
(e.g. can open ribosome) HHMI Education
Group Chuck Shubert (MIT Office of EIT) John
Belcher (MIT Physics - TEALsim) Freely
available Google StarBiochem
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StarBiochem As of January 2008 successfully used
by gt1100 undergraduate students at at MIT, by 200
students at Brandeis, and by gt300 high school
during MIT and Broad Institute outreach programs.
Michelle Mischke (MIT), Melissa
Kosinski-Collins (Brandeis), and Megan Rokop
(MIT/Broad Institute) Its so amazing to be
teaching a set of students who actually have a
feel for what a protein is!
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StarBiochem As of January 2008 successfully used
by gt1100 undergraduate students at at MIT, by 200
students at Brandeis, and by gt300 high school
during MIT and Broad Institute outreach programs.
Michelle Mischke (MIT), Melissa
Kosinski-Collins (Brandeis), and Megan Rokop
(MIT/Broad Institute) Its so amazing to be
teaching a set of students who actually have a
feel for what a protein is! Continued
development of StarBiochem will be funded by the
Davis Educational Foundation.
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Acknowledgements
Extended HHMI Education Group HHMI
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