Web pages and multimedia as a tool for biochemistry instruction

Abstract

Nowadays the usefulness of taking advantage of multimedia materials as a support tool in teaching is well established. Fortunately, the means to access these resources are increasingly available. This approach becomes particularly useful in the life sciences area, where perception of three-dimensional features of biomolecule structure and interactions is crucial, as well as of the dynamic nature of all processes that take place in living beings. In this communication, we will present experiences on the use of diverse materials as a support for teaching in the classroom and, likewise, as a tool to assist the student in his/her personal study and learning process. The development and use of these materials are structured through the web page format, since this offers a series of features ideally suited as "universal content container": a single environment is provided for different types of materials: text, images, animated diagrams, movies, sound, molecular models, exercises, self-assessment, interactive content...; everything is handled with a software familiar to the user, available easily and at no cost; the same material serves as support tool for the teacher during lectures and as a study resource for the students; it can be made available under multiple settings: in the classroom, in the laboratory, in the student's personal computer, on the hard disk, on CD-ROM, through a local network, through internet, etc.; it allows easy update of contents, as often as needed.