title: Using Adobe Flash animations of electron transport chain to teach and learn biochemistry.
abstract: Teaching the subject of the electron transport chain is one of the most challenging aspects of the chemistry curriculum at the high school level. This article presents an educational program called "Electron Transport Chain" which consists of 14 visual animations including a biochemistry quiz. The program was created in the Adobe Flash CS3 Professional animation program and is designed for high school chemistry students. Our goal is to develop educational materials that facilitate the comprehension of this complex subject through dynamic animations which show the course of the electron transport chain and simultaneously explain its nature. We record the process of the electron transport chain, including connections with oxidative phosphorylation, in such a way as to minimize the occurrence of discrepancies in interpretation. The educational program was evaluated in high schools through the administration of a questionnaire, which contained 12 opened-ended items and which required participants to evaluate the graphics of the animations, chemical content, student preferences, and its suitability for high school biochemistry teaching.
authors.affiliation: Department of Teaching and Didactics of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Milada
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Teplá
authors.affiliation: Department of Teaching and Didactics of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Klímová
mesh_terms: D001296:Audiovisual Aids; D001671:Biochemistry / Q000193:education*; D032882:Comprehension; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000379:methods*; D003479:Curriculum; D004579:Electron Transport; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D013334:Students; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*
keywords: computers in research and teaching; high school; using multimedia in the classroom; using simulation and internet resources for teaching