TY - JOUR
T1 - Building and breaking the cell wall in four acts
T2 - A kinesthetic and tactile role-playing exercise for teaching beta-lactam antibiotic mechanism of action and resistance
AU - Popovich, John
AU - Stephens, Michelle
AU - Celaya, Holly
AU - Suwarno, Serena
AU - Barclay, Shizuka
AU - Yee, Emily
AU - Dean, David A.
AU - Farris, Megan
AU - Haydel, Shelley E.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Author (s). Published by the American Society for Microbiology.
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - “Building and breaking the cell wall” is designed to review the bacterial cell envelope, previously learned in lower-division biology classes, while introducing new topics such as antibiotics and bacterial antibiotic resistance mechanisms. We developed a kinesthetic and tactile modeling activity where students act as cellular components and construct the cell wall. In the first two acts, students model a portion of the gram-positive bacterial cell envelope and then demonstrate in detail how the peptidoglycan is formed. Act III involves student demonstration of the addition of β-lactam antibiotics to the environment and how they inhibit the formation of peptidoglycan, thereby preventing bacterial replication. Using Staphylococcus aureus as a model for gram-positive bacteria, students finish the activity (Act IV) by acting out how S. aureus often becomes resistant to β-lactam antibiotics. A high level of student engagement was observed, and the activity received positive feedback. In an assessment administered prior to and two months after the activity, significant improvements in scores were observed (p < 0.0001), demonstrating increased understanding and retention. This activity allows students to (i) visualize, role play, and kinesthetically “build” the cell envelope and form the peptidoglycan layer, (ii) understand the mechanism of action for β-lactam antibiotics, as well as how gene acquisition and protein changes result in resistance, and (iii) work cooperatively and actively to promote long-term retention of the subject material.
AB - “Building and breaking the cell wall” is designed to review the bacterial cell envelope, previously learned in lower-division biology classes, while introducing new topics such as antibiotics and bacterial antibiotic resistance mechanisms. We developed a kinesthetic and tactile modeling activity where students act as cellular components and construct the cell wall. In the first two acts, students model a portion of the gram-positive bacterial cell envelope and then demonstrate in detail how the peptidoglycan is formed. Act III involves student demonstration of the addition of β-lactam antibiotics to the environment and how they inhibit the formation of peptidoglycan, thereby preventing bacterial replication. Using Staphylococcus aureus as a model for gram-positive bacteria, students finish the activity (Act IV) by acting out how S. aureus often becomes resistant to β-lactam antibiotics. A high level of student engagement was observed, and the activity received positive feedback. In an assessment administered prior to and two months after the activity, significant improvements in scores were observed (p < 0.0001), demonstrating increased understanding and retention. This activity allows students to (i) visualize, role play, and kinesthetically “build” the cell envelope and form the peptidoglycan layer, (ii) understand the mechanism of action for β-lactam antibiotics, as well as how gene acquisition and protein changes result in resistance, and (iii) work cooperatively and actively to promote long-term retention of the subject material.
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U2 - 10.1128/jmbe.v19i1.1462
DO - 10.1128/jmbe.v19i1.1462
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85060281569
SN - 1935-7877
VL - 19
JO - Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education
JF - Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education
IS - 1
M1 - 1462
ER -