Designing Online Learning Games in Biotechnology

Abstract

Online games using Scratch were designed to help students acquire knowledge of molecular biology and biochemistry, which are fundamental to biotechnology. The games were created to enhance understanding of RNA codon tables, the structure of amino acid side chains, the names and structures of organic compounds, the overview of metabolic maps, and English vocabulary related to biotechnology. The students played those games during their classes. The effectiveness of the games was evaluated by a questionnaire. The students rated the games as helpful for their understanding of the classes, whereas the English vocabulary games received lower ratings. Overall, the study showed that the lecturers were able to develop learning games in Scratch and utilize them in a classroom setting even without needing to have any previous programming experience.