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'It Is Not Just the Shape, There Is More': Students' Learning of Enzyme-Substrate Interactions with Immersive Virtual Reality

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Title: 'It Is Not Just the Shape, There Is More': Students' Learning of Enzyme-Substrate Interactions with Immersive Virtual Reality
Language: English
Authors: Henry Matovu (ORCID 0000-0003-0503-5416), Mihye Won (ORCID 0000-0001-8771-7626), Roy Tasker (ORCID 0000-0001-9378-3865), Mauro Mocerino (ORCID 0000-0001-9514-7846), David Franklin Treagust (ORCID 0000-0001-5340-0970), Dewi Ayu Kencana Ungu (ORCID 0000-0002-1890-6017), Chin-Chung Tsai (ORCID 0000-0001-7744-9971)
Source: Chemistry Education Research and Practice. 2025 26(1):259-270.
Availability: Royal Society of Chemistry. Thomas Graham House, Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge, CB4 0WF, UK. Tel: +44-1223 420066; Fax: +44-1223 423623; e-mail: cerp@rsc.org; Web site: http://www.rsc.org/cerp
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 12
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Biochemistry, Science Education, Computer Simulation, Technology Uses in Education, Learning Processes, Visual Aids, Scientific Concepts, Undergraduate Students, College Science, Foreign Countries
Geographic Terms: Australia
DOI: 10.1039/D4RP00210E
ISSN: 1756-1108
Abstract: Immersive Virtual Reality (iVR) can help students visualise and explore complex chemical concepts, such as protein enzyme structures and interactions. We designed a set of collaborative iVR-based learning tasks on the interaction between a protein enzyme and its substrate. We investigated how 18 pairs (36 students) in undergraduate chemistry courses changed their understanding of enzyme-substrate interactions through iVR learning tasks. Videos of pre- and post-interviews and student-generated diagrams were analysed. Before iVR, students had abstract models of the structure of a protein enzyme or its interaction with a substrate molecule. Over 90 per cent of the students (33/36) explained enzyme-substrate interactions using simplistic lock-and-key diagrams, exclusively focusing on the shape. Although many students employed key scientific terms like activation energy in their explanations, they were unsure how enzymes lowered activation energy or how catalytic reactions occurred. After iVR, all students discussed the inadequacy of 2D diagrams for representing complex enzyme-substrate interactions. About 90 per cent of students (32/36) used concrete ideas such as electron density and orientation of reactants in the active site to explain the probability of successful interactions between the enzyme and its substrate. Our findings provide evidence of how interactive iVR learning tasks can help students explore complex molecular structures, integrate ideas, and build a concrete understanding of challenging science concepts.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1456954
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: 'It Is Not Just the Shape, There Is More': Students' Learning of Enzyme-Substrate Interactions with Immersive Virtual Reality
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Henry+Matovu%22">Henry Matovu</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0503-5416">0000-0003-0503-5416</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mihye+Won%22">Mihye Won</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8771-7626">0000-0001-8771-7626</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Roy+Tasker%22">Roy Tasker</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9378-3865">0000-0001-9378-3865</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mauro+Mocerino%22">Mauro Mocerino</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9514-7846">0000-0001-9514-7846</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22David+Franklin+Treagust%22">David Franklin Treagust</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5340-0970">0000-0001-5340-0970</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Dewi+Ayu+Kencana+Ungu%22">Dewi Ayu Kencana Ungu</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1890-6017">0000-0002-1890-6017</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Chin-Chung+Tsai%22">Chin-Chung Tsai</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7744-9971">0000-0001-7744-9971</externalLink>)
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  Data: Royal Society of Chemistry. Thomas Graham House, Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge, CB4 0WF, UK. Tel: +44-1223 420066; Fax: +44-1223 423623; e-mail: cerp@rsc.org; Web site: http://www.rsc.org/cerp
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  Data: Immersive Virtual Reality (iVR) can help students visualise and explore complex chemical concepts, such as protein enzyme structures and interactions. We designed a set of collaborative iVR-based learning tasks on the interaction between a protein enzyme and its substrate. We investigated how 18 pairs (36 students) in undergraduate chemistry courses changed their understanding of enzyme-substrate interactions through iVR learning tasks. Videos of pre- and post-interviews and student-generated diagrams were analysed. Before iVR, students had abstract models of the structure of a protein enzyme or its interaction with a substrate molecule. Over 90 per cent of the students (33/36) explained enzyme-substrate interactions using simplistic lock-and-key diagrams, exclusively focusing on the shape. Although many students employed key scientific terms like activation energy in their explanations, they were unsure how enzymes lowered activation energy or how catalytic reactions occurred. After iVR, all students discussed the inadequacy of 2D diagrams for representing complex enzyme-substrate interactions. About 90 per cent of students (32/36) used concrete ideas such as electron density and orientation of reactants in the active site to explain the probability of successful interactions between the enzyme and its substrate. Our findings provide evidence of how interactive iVR learning tasks can help students explore complex molecular structures, integrate ideas, and build a concrete understanding of challenging science concepts.
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