Scientific publications, textbooks, and online educational resources rely on illustrated figures to communicate about molecular structures like genes and chromosomes. Published figures have the potential to shape how learners think about these molecular structures and their functions, so it is important that figures are clear, unambiguous, and…

This short paper presents an educational approach to teaching three popular methods for encoding DNA sequences: one-hot encoding, binary encoding, and integer encoding. Aimed at bioinformatics and computational biology students, our learning intervention focuses on developing practical skills in implementing these essential techniques for…

Molecular biology can be challenging for undergraduate students because it requires visual literacy skills to interpret abstract representations of submicroscopic concepts, structures, and processes. The Conceptual-Reasoning-Mode framework suggests that visual literacy relies on applying conceptual knowledge to appropriately reason with the…

Visual representations in molecular biology tend to follow a set of shared conventions for using certain shapes and symbols to convey information about the size and structure of nucleotides, genes, and chromosomes. Understanding how and why biologists use these conventions to represent DNA is a key part of visual literacy in molecular biology.…

Virtual Labs (vLabs) have been gaining popularity in high school and undergraduate education, but there are few studies looking at their use in graduate-level courses. In this study, we investigated the use of six Labster vLabs assigned as homework in a graduate-level in-person Genomic Methodologies course at the University of Toronto. This course…

Innovative approaches to teaching genetics are essential for improving student engagement and comprehension in this challenging field. Laboratory-based instruction enhances engagement with the subject while fostering the development of practical competencies and deepening comprehension of theoretical concepts. However, constraints on time and…

The study focuses on the importance of interdisciplinary learning experiences for exploring diverse subjects. Qualitatively conducted with 9 gifted high school students at a Science and Arts Center in Türkiye, the research involved collaboration among teachers in science, information technologies, and English, guided by a gifted education…