Figure analysis: A teaching technique to promote visual literacy and active Learning

Area of Science:

• Biology Education
• Molecular Biology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Active learning strategies can improve student outcomes compared to traditional lectures.
• Incorporating active learning into content-heavy courses like molecular biology presents challenges.
• Undergraduate science education often overlooks the development of visual literacy skills.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate a novel active learning technique called figure analysis.
• To address challenges in implementing active learning in molecular biology courses.
• To enhance both content knowledge and visual literacy in undergraduate biology students.

Main Methods:

• Figure analysis technique implemented across three undergraduate biology course levels.
• Students discussed scientific figures in small groups to learn content and interpret visual information.
• Peer-to-peer learning and concept connection occurred before instructor summarization.

Main Results:

• Students preferred figure analysis over traditional lecture formats.
• Female students reported increased confidence in their analytical abilities.
• The technique requires minimal preparation and no specific technology.

Conclusions:

• Figure analysis is an effective active learning strategy for molecular biology.
• The method successfully integrates content learning with visual literacy development.
• This technique is adaptable to various educational settings and comparable in preparation to lectures.