Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The active learning student-centered teaching approach process-oriented guided inquiry learning (POGIL) is a stimulating peer-based pedagogical method gaining momentum based on reported students’ outcomes that align with STEM undergraduate goals and objectives and job market competencies. Specific advanced topics in biology are intractable to many undergraduate students and require innovative, collaborative methods to produce desired learning outcomes. Chemistry instructors originally designed POGIL, and while biology-based POGILs are present in the literature, there is a limited amount of POGILs available in molecular biology. Thus, the current article illustrates a POGIL exercise that explores the central dogma, a fundamental principle in molecular biology. The central dogma of molecular biology provides a framework for gene expression processes and describes the flow of genetic information in living organisms. The central dogma describes how DNA nucleotides are transcribed into RNA nucleotides and translated into proteins. This seminal concept of molecular biology is critical to student understanding in introductory and advanced biological sciences courses. The POGIL exercise is organized based on the learning cycle model associated with inquiry-focused teaching techniques. The learning cycle model promotes gradual concept comprehension and real-world utilization. An increase in molecular biology POGIL exercises is required to improve student understanding and course grades in molecular biology or related disciplines. Examining the efficacy of using the current molecular biology POGIL exercise is necessary from the perspectives of undergraduate students and biology faculty to fortify POGIL usage at colleges and universities.
Author: Lawrence O. Flowers
Institution: Saint Augustine's University
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: hybrid
Funder: National Science Foundation
Awards: Targeted Infusion Project: Microbiome Data Science Infusion to Improve Undergraduate Research, Pedagogy, and Workforce Preparation, Planning Proposal: Saint Augustine's University STEM Ecosystem Analysis, Broadening Participation Research Project: Examining the Effects of a STEM Career Readiness Model to Enhance Underrepresented Minority Employment Opportunities
OpenAlex ID: W4411710174
