Dealing with the challenges of teaching molecular biophysics to biochemistry majors through an heuristics-based approach

Abstract

The main distinction between the overlapping fields of molecular biophysics and biochemistry resides in their different approaches to the same problems. Molecular biophysics makes more use of physical techniques and focuses on quantitative data. This difference encounters two difficult pedagogical challenges when teaching molecular biophysics to biochemistry majors; an aversion to math, " Mathematophobia," combined with little appreciation for the importance of models in scientific progress. To overcome these problems, I have used an heuristic approach to student learning. Although inspired by problem-based learning, it has a lesser demand for material resources and can be managed by a single teacher in small classes. This approach is especially suited for elective courses in the final years of a program of study. It consists of teaching/touching the art of discovery by turning laboratories into original research projects and lectures into seminars. © 2002 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.