Computer Tutorials and Simulations Designed to Enhance Selected Immunological Studies for Ninth and Tenth Grade Biology Students

Abstract

Computers have become an integral part of the high school biology classroom. It was hypothesized that engaging students in computer simulated laboratory experiences along with experimental lab would increase student understanding of blood typing concepts. Increased understanding was measured by improved student scores on the end-of-the-unit evaluation and personal student and teacher evaluations of concept mastery. The four programs developed here were designed to supplement high school biology curricula. The program content was chosen due to the author's personal laboratory experiences and the need to better expose high school students to present issues in immunology and research laboratories. Although titled as consecutive programs with two parts each, the programs may be used independently. The computer program titles are: immunology: Part I: "What Is The Antigen/Antibody Response?" Immunology: Part II: "Histocompatibility and Mutation" Blood Typing: Part I: "What Does It Mean?" Blood Typing: Part II: "Determining Blood Types" The programs used to obtain data for this project were the Blood Typing Programs: Part I and Part II. After using the programs to supplement the blood typing unit, it was found that test scores increased among upper level students. Based on test scores, data indicated that computer simulation experience may be equivalent to experimental lab experience. Qualitative improvement was noted in personal evaluations as described herein. It is recommended that many teaching methods be employed in the high school biology classroom; among these methods should be increased integration of computer simulated laboratory experiences. The data of this study showed that computer assisted instruction at the Honors level resulted in the same degree of unit mastery as experimental activity. In addition, data indicated that computer assisted instruction accompanied by experimental lab experience did not result in greater learning than either one alone.