Keywords: bioinformatics classroom teaching, experimental teaching, modern educational technology
order
Bioinformatics is a new interdisciplinary subject. Broadly speaking, bioinformatics is engaged in the acquisition, processing, storage, distribution, analysis and interpretation of biological information, and comprehensively uses mathematics, computer science and biological tools to achieve the purpose of understanding the biological significance of data [1]. Its significance is twofold: first, to collect, sort out and serve massive data, that is, to manage them well; The second is to discover new laws from it, that is, to make good use of these data. With the appearance of the word 1987 bioinformatics as a symbol, biology is no longer a science based on experimental observation. With the advent of 2 1 century, the focus and potential breakthrough point of biology have shifted from experimental analysis and data accumulation in the 20th century to data analysis and experimental verification under its guidance. The fundamental reason why bioinformatics is widely studied as a discipline is that the research tools it provides are very important to the development of biology, so it has become the modern knowledge that life science researchers must master. Today's experimental biologists can only use the achievements of computational biology to jump out of the framework of experimental technicians and carry out truly innovative research. Now genomic informatics and post-genomic informatics resources have become the common wealth of all mankind on earth. How to obtain and use the abundant information provided by genome and post-genomics, and how to have the initial ability to enjoy the resources of all mankind have become the basic skills and knowledge that life science students must master, and also the initial ability that must be possessed in today's century [2].
Bioinformatics uses Internet as the medium, database as the carrier, mathematical knowledge, various calculation models and computers as tools to analyze various biological information in order to understand the biological significance of massive molecular data. Different from other life science courses, it needs developed internet and computers as necessary conditions in the teaching process. The survey shows that all colleges and universities in China have established campus networks, among which colleges and universities with backbone bandwidth 1000M account for 64.9% of the total survey. In 2005, some comprehensive universities and universities of science and engineering took the lead in upgrading to the 10 Gigabit campus network [3], which provided a good material foundation for universities to offer bioinformatics courses. This course is inseparable from modern network and information technology, and making full use of modern educational technology in teaching has incomparable advantages over other courses. In addition, the course has not fully formed a mature curriculum system, which provides a broad space for teachers to learn from advanced educational concepts and teaching practice experience and try various aspects of teaching reform.
1 classroom teaching
Bioinformatics mainly introduces principles and methods, explains them in simple terms, and pays attention to knowledge updating. Classroom teaching mainly introduces the relevant algorithms, principles and methods of bioinformatics, which is also the focus and difficulty of teaching. In teaching, we should follow the principle of explaining this part in simple terms, avoiding complexity and simplifying it, and analyze the algorithm with concrete examples to avoid empty and complicated explanation of the algorithm, so as to avoid students feeling boring and obscure, having fear and daunting; Focus on the idea and context of the algorithm, so that students can really master the problem-solving ideas and cultivate their scientific thinking ability. Inquiry teaching is used to encourage students to think. Through discussion and research, students can gradually master complex contents, introduce relevant teaching and physics knowledge, make students fully understand the relationship between bioinformatics and other disciplines and the importance of thinking methods of other disciplines to biological science, and cultivate their scientific quality of consciously applying methods and ideas of other disciplines to solve biological problems. In teaching, teachers must be able to keep up with the development direction of the subject, update their knowledge at any time, understand the latest frontier trends, master new methods and teach students the latest knowledge and methods. At the same time, students are encouraged to consciously pay attention to the development of disciplines through various channels, broaden their knowledge and cultivate their self-study ability and innovative consciousness.
Make full use of modern educational technology and adopt heuristic teaching.
At present, the multimedia projection and playback system equipped in college classrooms promotes the wide application of multimedia teaching. Multimedia teaching of bioinformatics is the basic requirement to adapt to the characteristics of the subject, improve the teaching effect and make full use of modern educational technology. Multimedia teaching, as the basic mode of bioinformatics teaching, makes the explanation more intuitive and vivid, especially the introduction of specific databases and the explanation of specific methods and tools involved in database retrieval, database similarity search, sequence analysis and protein structure prediction, which can stimulate students' interest in learning, deepen their understanding and mastery of knowledge and improve their ability to integrate theory with practice. At the same time, because bioinformatics depends on network resources and analytical tools and software on the Internet, multimedia computers in the classroom are connected to the Internet, which greatly improves the teaching effect. However, in actual teaching, it is found that multimedia classrooms also have limitations. Students mainly attend lectures and can't practice in time. The teacher's explanation is out of touch with the students' practice. If bioinformatics courses are arranged in the computer room and multimedia electronic classrooms are adopted, the above problems can be solved. Using heuristic teaching in teaching can create teaching scenarios for students, and students can discover, understand and master knowledge through consultation and discussion with teachers and classmates and participation in operations.
3. Adopt the integrated teaching mode of speaking, practicing and doing, and pay attention to the cultivation of students' practical ability.
In the classroom teaching of bioinformatics, we should actively learn from the integrated teaching mode of vocational training and computer course teaching, add practical training content to theoretical teaching, and combine theoretical teaching with practical teaching to change the traditional teaching mode centered on teachers, textbooks and lectures. According to the teaching content and students' cognitive rules, the method of theory before practice or practice before theory or practice is adopted flexibly, and the theoretical teaching and practical operation of bioinformatics are integrated, so that students' knowledge and ability can develop synchronously, harmoniously and comprehensively.
Usually, the method of speaking before practicing can be adopted, that is, the principle and method are introduced first, and then the relevant training content is designed for students to practice on the computer. The practical demonstration method can be used to explain the operational contents, methods and tools of bioinformatics analysis. The teacher demonstrates while explaining, and the students practice while listening to the class, or the students practice after the teacher explains. The combination of theory and practice can give full play to the vividness and intuition of classroom teaching, deepen students' understanding of knowledge and cultivate and improve students' practical operation ability.
4. Optimize the content of bioinformatics experiment teaching and give full play to the advantages of network teaching.
Bioinformatics experimental teaching is mainly aimed at the actual needs of massive biological data processing and analysis, to cultivate students' ability to comprehensively apply bioinformatics knowledge and methods to extract, store, process and analyze biological information, and to improve students' ability to apply theoretical knowledge to solve problems and think independently and comprehensively.
The selection and arrangement of experimental teaching content of bioinformatics should be based on the principle of step by step, aiming at specific typical bioinformatics problems, focusing on comprehensive and designed experimental content, clarifying objectives and requirements, highlighting key points, giving full play to students' subjective initiative and exploration spirit, and strengthening the cultivation of students' innovative spirit and experimental ability with the aim of stimulating their learning initiative and creativity as the starting point. The experimental teaching of bioinformatics is completed in the computer network laboratory with the Internet as the medium and the computer as the tool. In teaching, make full use of the interactive characteristics of the network to realize the combination of information technology and curriculum. Teachers send experimental teaching contents, experimental sequences and tools to students by e-mail, and students also feed back experimental reports, homework, questions and opinions to teachers by e-mail. After correcting the experimental report online, the teacher sends his scores and comments to the students, so that the students can know their learning situation in time. Teachers can guide students' experiments and discuss problems with students through online forums, chat rooms and instant messaging tools such as QQ and MSN. Bioinformatics experimental teaching under the network environment can not only improve students' interest in learning, bring great convenience to students' learning and teacher-student interaction, and improve teachers' work efficiency, but also keep abreast of students' learning situation, which is conducive to teachers' continuous adjustment of teaching plans and better teaching results.
5 Bioinformatics adopts paperless examination to strengthen the examination of practical ability.
Bioinformatics mainly uses the Internet, computers and application software to learn the basic theories and methods of bioinformatics analysis. The focus of the exam is to examine students' mastery of basic methods and skills of bioinformatics analysis and their ability to analyze and interpret results. Therefore, we can try to introduce practical skills examination into bioinformatics examination, and focus on assessing students' knowledge application ability through practical operation on the computer. The practical skills examination adopts paperless examination. Under the Internet environment, students can analyze the sequence of biological information and explain the results, which can not only test students' mastery of basic knowledge and principles, but also test students' practical ability and analytical thinking ability in biological information analysis. Through practical skill examination, ignoring theoretical examination and overcoming traditional rote memorization, students can be promoted to pay attention to improving their comprehensive ability of integrating theory with practice and improve their computer application ability more effectively. The evaluation of students' grades is mainly based on their test scores, so it is difficult to make a comprehensive evaluation of students' learning situation and learning process. Therefore, in addition to taking the practical skills test as the main part of students' grades, we should also strengthen the examination of students' usual learning attitude, learning ability and innovative thinking.
In a word, bioinformatics teaching is a brand-new content of biology teaching under the network environment. The above-mentioned teaching measures have improved students' learning enthusiasm, practical operation ability, comprehensive application ability and innovation ability to solve practical problems, and received good teaching results, which are widely welcomed by students and have strong operability and practicality. In the future teaching practice, the improvement of teachers' own quality and further teaching reform will continuously improve bioinformatics teaching and cultivate bioinformatics talents with "big science" quality and consciousness that span different fields such as life science, information science and mathematical science.
References:
[1] Zhao Guoping. Bioinformatics [M]. Science Press, 2002.
Zhong Yang, Sean, Zhao Qiong. Concise bioinformatics [M]. Beijing: Higher Education Press, 200 1.
[3] The survey results of the Science and Technology Development Center of the Ministry of Education on the construction and application of university campus network show that Gigabit has become the mainstream and its application is comprehensive [J]. China Education Network, 2005, (5):36-39.