Hands-on DNA: Exploring the Impact of Virtual Reality on Teaching DNA Structure and Function
Authors: 
Sebastian Dunn, Burkhard C. Wünsche, Jane R. Allison, Samuel E. R. Thompson, Dominik Lange-NawkaAuthors Info & Claims
Sebastian Dunn, Burkhard C. Wünsche, Jane R. Allison, Samuel E. R. Thompson, Dominik Lange-NawkaAuthors Info & ClaimsArticle No.: 21, Pages 1 - 11
Abstract
Molecular biology is a demanding subject, requiring students to master abstract, three-dimensional (3D) concepts across a range of spatial scales. Virtual reality (VR) is a medium that excels at portraying scale and 3D concepts, and allows people to have tangible experiences of otherwise intangible subjects. This paper describes Hands-on DNA, a virtual reality learning experience for teaching undergraduate university students about the scale and structure of deoxyribose nucleic acid (DNA), a central molecule in molecular biology. The intention of Hands-on DNA is to leverage the advantages of virtual reality against specific challenges faced in teaching molecular biology. We derive design requirements motivated by pedagogy, provide guidelines, and discuss lessons learned during development. Our user study shows that students perceive Hands-on DNA as a fun, engaging, effective learning tool, and that it addresses some of the weaknesses in molecular biology education. Our results also suggest that new interaction techniques to support learning in VR need to be developed (e.g., for note taking) and that the increasing penetration of recreational VR increases students’ expectations and hence the risk of students being disappointed of VR learning tools.
Supplementary Material
Example video of Hands-on DNA
- Download
- 96.63 MB
References
[1]
Wadee Alhalabi. 2016. Virtual reality systems enhance students’ achievements in engineering education. Behaviour & Information Technology 35, 11 (2016), 919–925. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2016.1212931
[2]
Benjamin J. H. Andersen, Arran T. A. Davis, Gerald Weber, and Burkhard C. Wünsche. 2019. Immersion or Diversion: Does Virtual Reality Make Data Visualisation More Effective?. In International Conference on Electronics, Information, and Communication (ICEIC 2019). Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers, Seoul, Republic of Korea, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.23919/ELINFOCOM.2019.8706403
[3]
Ryan Ba, Yuan Xie, Yuzhe Zhang, Siti Faatihah Binte Mohd Taib, Yiyu Cai, Zachary Walker, Zhong Chen, Sandra Tan, Ban Hoe Chow, Shi Min Lim, Dennis Pang, Sui Lin Goei, H. E. K. Matimba, and Wouter van Joolingen. 2019. Virtual Reality Enzymes: An Interdisciplinary and International Project Towards an Inquiry-Based Pedagogy. Springer, Singapore, 45–54. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2844-2_5
[4]
Emily E. Baumgartner. 2020. The Impact of Virtual Reality and 360-Degree Video on Spatial Reasoning Skills in Elementary Students. Ph.D. Dissertation. Kent State University, Ohio, USA.
[5]
Mathis Brossier, Robin Skånberg, Lonni Besançon, Mathieu Linares, Tobias Isenberg, Anders Ynnerman, and Alexander Bock. 2023. Moliverse: Contextually embedding the microcosm into the universe. Computers & Graphics 112 (May 2023), 22–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cag.2023.02.006
[6]
Jack Shen-Kuen Chang, Georgina Yeboah, Alison Doucette, Paul Clifton, Michael Nitsche, Timothy Welsh, and Ali Mazalek. 2017. Evaluating the Effect of Tangible Virtual Reality on Spatial Perspective Taking Ability. In Proceedings of the 5th Symposium on Spatial User Interaction (SUI ’17). ACM, New York, NY, USA, 68–77. https://doi.org/10.1145/3131277.3132171
[7]
A. Kat Cooper and M. T. Oliver-Hoyo. 2017. Creating 3D physical models to probe student understanding of macromolecular structure. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education 45, 6 (2017), 491–500. https://doi.org/10.1002/bmb.21076
[8]
Robert B. Corey and Linus Pauling. 1953. Molecular Models of Amino Acids, Peptides, and Proteins. Review of Scientific Instruments 24, 1 (1953), 621–627.
[9]
Helen M. Deeks, Rebecca K. Walters, Stephanie R. Hare, Michael B. O’Connor, Adrian J. Mulholland, and David R. Glowacki. 2020. Interactive molecular dynamics in virtual reality for accurate flexible protein-ligand docking. PLOS ONE 15, 3 (03 2020), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0228461
[10]
D. DeSutter and M. Stieff. 2017. Teaching students to think spatially through embodied actions: Design principles for learning environments in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications 2, 1 (2017), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41235-016-0039-y
[11]
Christo Dichev and Darina Dicheva. 2017. Gamifying education: what is known, what is believed and what remains uncertain: a critical review. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education 14, 9 (2017), 1–36. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-017-0042-5
[12]
David G. Doak, Gareth S. Denyer, Juliet A. Gerrard, Joel P. Mackay, and Jane R. Allison. 2020. Peppy: A virtual reality environment for exploring the principles of polypeptide structure. Protein Science 29, 1 (2020), 157–168. https://doi.org/10.1002/pro.3752
[13]
H. R. Drew, R. M. Wing, T. Takano, C. Broka, S. Tanaka, K. Itakura, and R. E. Dickerson. 1981. Structure of a B-DNA dodecamer: conformation and dynamics.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 78, 4 (1981), 2179–2183. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.78.4.217
[14]
Alan K. Griffiths and Kirk R. Preston. 1992. Grade-12 students’ misconceptions relating to fundamental characteristics of atoms and molecules. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 29, 6 (1992), 611–628. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.3660290609
[15]
Ian Hamilton. 2018. A Practitioner Reflection on Accessibility in Virtual Reality Environments. The Computer Games Journal 7, 2 (2018), 63–74. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40869-018-0061-z
[16]
Fiona Heilemann, Gottfried Zimmermann, and Patrick Münster. 2021. Accessibility Guidelines for VR Games - A Comparison and Synthesis of a Comprehensive Set. Frontiers in Virtual Reality 2 (2021), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.3389/frvir.2021.697504
[17]
Michelle E. Howell, Christine S. Booth, Sharmin M. Sikich, Tomáš Helikar, Rebecca L. Roston, Brian A. Couch, and Karin van Dijk. 2019. Student Understanding of DNA Structure–Function Relationships Improves from Using 3D Learning Modules with Dynamic 3D Printed Models. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education 47, 3 (2019), 303–317. https://doi.org/10.1002/bmb.21234
[18]
Hsiu-Mei Huang, Ulrich Rauch, and Shu-Sheng Liaw. 2010. Investigating learners’ attitudes toward virtual reality learning environments: Based on a constructivist approach. Computers & Education 55, 3 (2010), 1171–1182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2010.05.014
[19]
Gunnar Höst, Karljohan Palmerius, and Konrad Schönborn. 2020. Nano for the Public: An Exploranation Perspective. IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications 40, 2 (March 2020), 32–42. https://doi.org/10.1109/MCG.2020.2973120
[20]
W. A. IJsselsteijn, Y. A. W. de Kort, and K. Poels. 2013. The Game Experience Questionnaire. URL: https://research.tue.nl/en/publications/the-game-experience-questionnaire. (accessed June 2023).
[21]
Sheila S. Jaswal, Patricia B. O’Hara, Patrick L. Williamson, and Amy L. Springer. 2013. Teaching structure: Student use of software tools for understanding macromolecular structure in an undergraduate biochemistry course. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education 41, 5 (2013), 351–359. https://doi.org/10.1002/bmb.20718
[22]
Sam Kavanagh, Andrew Luxton-Reilly, Burkhard Claus Wünsche, and Beryl Plimmer. 2017. A systematic review of Virtual Reality in education. Themes in Science & Technology Education 10, 2 (2017), 85–119. https://doi.org/10.1002/bmb.20718
[23]
Laura J. Kingsley, Vincent Brunet, Gerald Lelais, Steve McCloskey, Kelly Milliken, Edgardo Leija, Stephen R. Fuhs, Kai Wang, Edward Zhou, and Glen Spraggon. 2019. Development of a virtual reality platform for effective communication of structural data in drug discovery. Journal of Molecular Graphics and Modelling 89 (2019), 234–241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmgm.2019.03.010
[24]
Quang Tuan Le, Akeem Pedro, and Chan Sik Park. 2015. A Social Virtual Reality Based Construction Safety Education System for Experiential Learning. Journal of Intelligent & Robotic Systems 79, 3 (2015), 487–506. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10846-014-0112-z
[25]
Jennifer Loertscher, David Green, Jennifer E. Lewis, Sara Lin, and Vicky Minderhout. 2014. Identification of Threshold Concepts for Biochemistry. CBE—Life Sciences Education 13, 3 (2014), 516–528. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.14-04-0066
[26]
Guillaume Loup, Audrey Serna, Sébastien Iksal, and Sébastien George. 2016. Immersion and Persistence: Improving Learners’ Engagement in Authentic Learning Situations. In Adaptive and Adaptable Learning. Springer International Publishing, Cham, 410–415. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-45153-4_35
[27]
Stefan Marks, John Windsor, and Burkhard Wünsche. 2012. Head Tracking Based Avatar Control for Virtual Environment Teamwork Training. JVRB - Journal of Virtual Reality and Broadcasting 9, 9 (2012), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.20385/1860-2037/9.2012.9
[28]
mattatz. 2017. unity-tubular. URL: https://github.com/mattatz/unity-tubular. (accessed June 2023).
[29]
Richard E. Mayer. 2020. Multimedia Learning (3. ed.). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316941355
[30]
M. Meltafina, W. Wiji, and S. Mulyani. 2019. Misconceptions and threshold concepts in chemical bonding. Journal of Physics: Conference Series 1157, 4 (feb 2019), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1157/4/042030
[31]
J. H. F. Meyer and R. Land. 2005. Threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge: Epistemological considerations and a conceptual framework for teaching and learning. Higher Education 49, 3 (2005), 373–388. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-004-6779-5
[32]
Jiri Motejlek and Esat Alpay. 2023. The retention of information in virtual reality based engineering simulations. European Journal of Engineering Education 1, 1 (2023), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2022.2160968
[33]
Dina L. Newman, Megan Stefkovich, Catherine Clasen, Margaret A. Franzen, and L. Kate Wright. 2018. Physical models can provide superior learning opportunities beyond the benefits of active engagements. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education 46, 5 (2018), 435–444. https://doi.org/10.1002/bmb.21159
[34]
Provalis Research. 2023. Qualitative Data Analysis Software, Mixed Methods Research Tool. URL: https://provalisresearch.com/products/qualitative-data-analysis-software. (accessed June 2023).
[35]
Jaziar Radianti, Tim A. Majchrzak, Jennifer Fromm, and Isabell Wohlgenannt. 2020. A systematic review of immersive virtual reality applications for higher education: Design elements, lessons learned, and research agenda. Computers & Education 147 (2020), 103778. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.103778
[36]
Jacqueline R. Roberts, Eric Hagedorn, Paul Dillenburg, Michael Patrick, and Timothy Herman. 2005. Physical models enhance molecular three-dimensional literacy in an introductory biochemistry course. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education 33, 2 (2005), 105–110. https://doi.org/10.1002/bmb.2005.494033022426
[37]
Parviz Safadel and David White. 2019. Facilitating Molecular Biology Teaching by Using Augmented Reality (AR) and Protein Data Bank (PDB). TechTrends 63, 2 (2019), 188–193. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-018-0343-0
[38]
Dale H. Schunk. 2012. Learning theories: an educational perspective (6. ed.). Pearson, London.
[39]
Konrad J. Schönborn, Gunnar E. Höst, and Karljohan E. Lundin Palmerius. 2016. Nano education with interactive visualization. Nano Today 11, 5 (Oct. 2016), 543–546. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nantod.2015.10.006
[40]
Vicente Talanquer. 2015. Threshold Concepts in Chemistry: The Critical Role of Implicit Schemas. Journal of Chemical Education 92, 1 (2015), 3–9. https://doi.org/10.1021/ed500679k
[41]
Charlotte Taylor, Pauline Ross, Chris Hughes, Louise Lutze-Mann, Noel Whitaker, and Vicky Tzioumis. 2011. Threshold Concepts in Biology : Final Report. Technical Report. Australian Learning and Teaching Council, The University of Sydney.
[42]
Lena A.E. Tibell and Carl-Johan Rundgren. 2010. Educational Challenges of Molecular Life Science: Characteristics and Implications for Education and Research. CBE—Life Sciences Education 9, 1 (2010), 25–33. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.08-09-005
[43]
Unity Technologies. 2023. Unity - Manual: Configurable Joint. URL: https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/class-ConfigurableJoint.html. (accessed June 2023).
[44]
Martin Usoh, Ernest Catena, Sima Arman, and Mel Slater. 2000. Using Presence Questionnaires in Reality. Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments 9, 5 (oct 2000), 497–503. https://doi.org/10.1162/105474600566989
[45]
Tamara Vagg, Joy Y. Balta, Aaron Bolger, and Mutahira Lone. 2020. Multimedia in Education: What do the Students Think?Health Professions Education 6, 3 (2020), 325–333. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hpe.2020.04.011
[46]
Peng Wang, Peng Wu, Jun Wang, Hung-Lin Chi, and Xiangyu Wang. 2018. A Critical Review of the Use of Virtual Reality in Construction Engineering Education and Training. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 15, 6 (2018), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15061204
[47]
Bang Wong. 2011. Points of view: Color blindness. Nature Methods 8, 6 (2011), 441. https://doi.org/10.1038/nmeth.1618
Index Terms
- Hands-on DNA: Exploring the Impact of Virtual Reality on Teaching DNA Structure and Function
Recommendations
Simulator of the Glycolytic Pathway in a Virtual Reality Environment as a Learning Resource for Teaching Cellular Respiration
IHC '18: Proceedings of the 17th Brazilian Symposium on Human Factors in Computing SystemsThe process of cellular respiration approached in molecular biology, specifically glycolysis, have high complexity and abstraction in the approach used in the subjects that explore the theme, especially because of the materials used, making the ...
Virtual reality and augmented reality for education: panel
SA '16: SIGGRAPH ASIA 2016 Symposium on Education: TalksSince the last few decades, virtual reality (VR) and augmented-reality (AR) interfaces have shown the potential to enhance teaching and learning, by combining physical and virtual worlds and leveraging the advantages of both [Yannier et al. 2015]. ...
Haptic virtual reality and immersive learning for enhanced organic chemistry instruction
AbstractHuman–Computer interaction, including technology-aided instruction, is beginning to focus on virtual reality (VR) technology due to its ability to support immersive learning, teaching through simulation, and gamification of learning. These systems ...
Comments
Information & Contributors
Information
Published In
October 2023
542 pages
ISBN:9798400703287
DOI:10.1145/3611659
Copyright © 2023 ACM.
Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than the author(s) must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected].
Sponsors
Publisher
Association for Computing Machinery
New York, NY, United States
Publication History
Published: 09 October 2023
Check for updates
Author Tags
Qualifiers
- Research-article
- Research
- Refereed limited
Conference
VRST 2023: 29th ACM Symposium on Virtual Reality Software and Technology
October 9 - 11, 2023
Christchurch, New Zealand
Acceptance Rates
Overall Acceptance Rate 66 of 254 submissions, 26%
Upcoming Conference
Contributors
Other Metrics
Bibliometrics & Citations
Bibliometrics
Article Metrics
- 0Total Citations
- 152Total Downloads
- Downloads (Last 12 months)152
- Downloads (Last 6 weeks)6
Reflects downloads up to 18 Aug 2024
Other Metrics
Citations
View Options
Get Access
Login options
Check if you have access through your login credentials or your institution to get full access on this article.
Sign inFull Access
View options
View or Download as a PDF file.
PDFeReader
View online with eReader.
eReaderHTML Format
View this article in HTML Format.
HTML Format