Thank you for these most excellent questions. They gave me
an excellent insight on the messages the paper sends.
Bioinformatics will be a topic vital to future generations.
Your efforts in furthering my research are appreciated. I have
answered all questions sent to me in the order received.
Questions have been edited for spelling and grammar, but the
content remains unchanged.
What do you think makes bioinformatics such an important
topic?
In the future, there will be a high demand for experienced
bioinformaticists. It is good for the industry to encourage
interest in young students, and it benefits the students by
giving lucrative career opportunities.
Do you honestly think that elementary children have enough
background to learn/understand such topics?
The elementary material of bioinformatics is no more difficult
than long division. Elementary school students can learn
complex tasks well, if covered correctly.
How exactly would you like teachers to use bioinformatics in
the classroom?
I would like teachers to cover lessons in their classes simply to
familiarize students with the basic concepts of bioinformatics,
such as the DNA model lesson covered in this presentation.
Elementary and even middle childhood/secondary educators
are not going to try and teach this if this is all the information
they know. Do you know of other resources that they can refer
to?
There are many educational resources on bioinformatics.
Most are aimed at college students and professionals. This
research is aimed at developing lessons in bioinformatics for a
variety of age and educational groups. The DNA model can
easily be completed with elementary school students.
Why is it so crucial that this specific topic be covered in the K12 curriculum?
“Crucial” may be too strong of a word. There is a general
mentality of the complexity of bioinformatics. My research is
to show K12 students can learn the basics of bioinformatics,
and to measure the extent to which they can learn the more
complicated concepts.
How would you introduce this complex topic to children as
young as first or second grade?
The DNA model assignment is aimed at any age over five.
After reading the article, I'm still a little confused about what
bioinformatics consists of. Can you elaborate a little on the
specifics?
See presentation for more information. The paper does
describe some rather complex algorithms in bioinformatics.
This lesson is simply part of the research. I am also
conducting research on effective methods of teaching
bioinformatics to college students.
How can bioinformatics be merged with other subjects and
lessons?
The DNA model lesson is a bioinformatics lesson merged with
art, science, and mathematics. It could be covered within any
of these subject curriculums.
Can this type of information be approached through authentic
instruction?
Most definitely. The DNA model assignment is a perfect
example. Once students learn to create a basic DNA model,
they can create more accurate models of DNA strands from
data gathered from actual species.
How can students interested in this topic advance if they do
not have the resources or computer available?
One does not need advanced computer and biological
technology to discuss bioinformatics. Pipe cleaners cost
around a penny apiece – a teacher can conduct this lesson for
20 students for less than the price of a fancy cappuccino at
Starbucks.
How can students who are not interested in this content area
become engaged in the bioinformatics assignments?
Encouragement lied is the enjoyment of the lesson. While this
activity might not be as fun as kickball, it is more enjoyable
than the order of operations. At the completion of this lesson,
they student is left with something tangible that they
personally created. Show students what can be done, and they
will find their own way. The DNA model lesson could help
students become interested in bioinformatics early in life.
What exactly is bioinformatics, is it graphing DNA and
species or is it just graphing any information?
Bioinformatics is a wide topic I am just starting. This is what
one could call “the tip of the iceburg.”
How can such complex information be taught in elementary
level grades?
Use a hands-on approach to teach the basics, then go from
there.
How can this information be presented in a more interesting
way to get involvement from younger students and in
elementary level classes?
The key is in the students’ internal motivation to complete the
task. The point of the activity could be to create a present for
someone else. Another motivator could be a class contest.
A lot of the assignments and tasks covered in this article are
science related. Can you use bioinformatics in other areas?
What are some content topics that can be addressed in other
academic areas?
The DNA model assignment can be used in within any art,
science, mathematics curriculum.
As far as drawn model vs. 3D models, do you think that one
has more benefits over the other? Does making the actual
structure (3D) have a different effect on students learning?
People gain a stringer understanding of a concept through a 3dimensional model. However, 3D models represent an added
complexity in design, construction, and transport. Twodimensional diagrams can be done on paper, the blackboard,
or on a computer screen. Both are important concepts in the
process of learning modeling and simulation. I find modeling
is a self-motivating lesson. The underlying reason the student
tries to do well on the model shifts from wanting a good grade
(a weak motivator) to wanting to create a well-crafted model
(a strong motivator). I have done a lot of work in modeling
education, including 3d polyhedron models and drawing
prisms in two dimensions, and it never fails to produce results
even the least-motivated students.
You state in your article that public education is
fundamentally flawed because schools are only motivated to
teach what is on standardized tests. Does this mean you feel
bioinformatics should be included on these tests or the tests
should be banished from our educational systems?
Well, neither. This lesson is to encourage teachers of science
and mathematics to include lessons like the DNA model in
their courses. I am not personally in favor for standardized
tests, as research has shown that standardized tests, as a whole,
do not accurately measure learning. However, I am not
against standardized tests because alternate methods of
assessment are much more expensive and difficult to compare
across samples. That statement is merely pointing out that the
lack of inclusion of bioinformatics on standardized tests will
be an challenge to promoting bioinformatics to K12 schools,
but one that can be overcome.
After reading your article I am still not exactly sure of what
bioinformatics are, but I am sure that it is a very complicated
process. My question is, you propose teaching this in
elementary classes, but how exactly will the model of this be
taught? Do you have a specific example?
The DNA model is my first example of a lesson in
bioinformatics aimed at elementary school students. I have
previously covered an evolution model lesson on college
students, but this required the use of a graphics program to
create evolution trees. The evolution model lesson has a much
higher learning curve than the DNA model lesson. I would
want to make sure the easier lesson works first before moving
on to more difficult lessons.
I realize that this in your opinion is the "wave" of the future
and a need to address bioinformatics in schools is fast
approaching with the changing times. Do you think that it
should be included first in higher education settings as it is a
complex process that older students have a far better potential
for grasping?
There are several universities with classes and majors devoted
to bioinformatics. There is very little mention of
bioinformatic algorithms or alternate evolution models in K12
science or math curriculums. This research is to encourage
teaching these topics earlier than college.
Are k-12 teachers prepared to teach this subject? If they are
not prepared how do they get prepared?
They will be prepared if I teach them. Preparation in this sort
of instruction is more of a mental preparation of teaching to
students on a deeper level than rote memorization. Complex
analysis cannot always be explained, and one student’s correct
answer may be different from another student’s correct
answer.
When teaching the assignments listed in the article what types
of classroom management do teachers need to think about?
Classroom management is always an issue for teachers. This
lesson was designed to allow for students to work at their own
pace, allowing the teacher the time to supervise any discipline
issues that come up. When I taught inner-city students,
misbehaving students constantly diverted my attention. I was
very thankful to have assignments that students could work on
without my direct attention.
What is a good way to introduce science to children?
The DNA model assignment is an excellent start.
How can you teach students without speaking above them?
I speak to children pretty much the same way I speak to adults.
If I say something my listener does not quite understand, I
restate the point in a different way.
How do you make it simple for students to understand?
I constantly read my students body language to check for
understanding.
What if students have a hard time reading graphs?
Students learn in different ways. I analyze students to
discover their particular learning style, then encourage them to
go in that direction.
What is the cost of these programs that allows students to
better understand bioinformatics? Can schools afford them?
Pipe cleaners are cheap. The supplies to make the polyhedron
models consisted of recycled file folders, scotch tape, and
crayons. Bioinformatics education does not need to be
expensive.
What kind of math history do you need to grasp these
concepts?
Depends on the concepts. Very little prior knowledge is
required for the DNA model lesson. The phylogeny
reconstruction assignment does require some mathematical
“maturity.”
How would you present this to K-12 students?
The DNA model lesson is a good example. After testing the
lesson on college students, I would like to work backwards in
age level: high school, then middle school, then elementary
school.
How do you plan to encourage these K-12 students? How do
you plan to motivate these students?
The creation of the model is its own encouragement and
motivation.
Is this a fairly new field of study? How have computers
affected the study of bioinformatics?
Bioinformatics is relatively new compared to mathematics,
physics, chemistry, and biology. Charles Darwin was the first
to start publishing work on evolution. Developments in
computer algorithms and hardware within the last 30 years
really paved the road to the term bioinformatics.
Are there any "religious" groups who may feel that
bioinformatics do not belong in public school curriculums?
Bioinformatics is a field of science that follows the teachings
of Darwin and the theory of evolution. Many regard evolution
as a theory, and have proposed that an alternate theory called
intelligent design also be covered in public school science
classes. While that discussion is interesting on a societal
level, it will not be a focus of my research.