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Review
. 2004 Fall;3(3):181-8.
doi: 10.1187/cbe.03-10-0018.

Use of animation in teaching cell biology

Bradley J Stith  1
Affiliations
Review

Use of animation in teaching cell biology

Bradley J Stith. Cell Biol Educ. 2004 Fall.

Abstract

To address the different learning styles of students, and because students can access animation from off-campus computers, the use of digital animation in teaching cell biology has become increasingly popular. Sample processes from cell biology that are more clearly presented in animation than in static illustrations are identified. The value of animation is evaluated on whether the process being taught involves motion, cellular location, or sequential order of numerous events. Computer programs for developing animation and animations associated with cell biology textbooks are reviewed, and links to specific examples of animation are given. Finally, future teaching tools for all fields of biology will increasingly benefit from an expansion of animation to the use of simulation. One purpose of this review is to encourage the widespread use of animations in biology teaching by discussing the nature of digital animation.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Animation of enzyme-substrate binding (http://carbon.cudenver.edu/˜bstith/Lam%20animation.swf)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Animation of clutch model of cell movement (http://carbon.cudenver.edu/˜bstith/cellcrawling.swf)
Figure 3
Figure 3
Animation of inositol 4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) production and action (http://www.cellbioed.org/resources/flash/IP3.html)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. Becker W., Kleinsmith L.J., Hardin J. The World of the Cell. San Francisco: Benjamin Cummings; 2003.
    1. Bockholt S.M., West J.P., Bollenbacher W.E. Cancer cell biology: A student-centered instructional module exploring the use of multimedia to enrich interactive, constructivist learning of science. Cell Biol Edu. 2003;2:35–50. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Cooper G.M., Hausman R.E. The cell: A molecular approach. Sunderland, MA: American Society for Microbiology Press and Sinauer Associates; 2004.

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