Metabolic pathways visualization skills development by undergraduate students.

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry Education
• Scientific Visualization
• Cognitive Science in STEM

Background:

• Metabolic pathways are crucial in biochemistry but complex to interpret visually.
• Students often struggle with comprehending the visual information in metabolic maps.
• Existing assessments may not adequately capture specific visualization skills required for metabolic pathway comprehension.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a Metabolic Pathways Visualization Skill Test (MPVST).
• To assess students' abilities in comprehending visual information within metabolic pathway diagrams.
• To identify key visualization skills essential for understanding metabolic maps.

Main Methods:

• Development of the MPVST, a novel assessment tool.
• Identification of six specific visualization skills critical for metabolic map interpretation.
• Application of the MPVST to assess B. S. Biochemistry students' visualization abilities.

Main Results:

• The MPVST effectively discriminates students' visualization abilities based on identified key skills.
• Students' metabolic pathway visualization skills develop informally and progressively throughout their college education.
• A significant correlation was observed between the complexity of biochemical pathways and students' visualization challenges.

Conclusions:

• The MPVST is a valuable tool for evaluating students' understanding of metabolic pathway diagrams.
• Instructional strategies should emphasize explicit teaching of visual representations in metabolic maps.
• Addressing students' familiarity with metabolic maps is crucial for improving comprehension in biochemistry.