Models in Movies: Teaching Abstract Concepts in Concrete Models

Abstract

The tool created here is an instructional video that demonstrates how to create models of the heavy and light chains of an antibody using pipe cleaners, and how the process of V, D, and J gene recombination functions, using the model as a visual aide. The video was created by undergraduate students, with the intended audience being other undergraduates. This type of direct peer teaching aids in education because the “teachers” in this situation greatly enhance their own knowledge through instruction, and their imparting of knowledge is often more helpful to that of another student because they are more aware of comprehension gaps within their peer groups. As such, the supplementary goal of the model is to have students follow along with the video by creating and using their own models, thereby gaining a deeper knowledge of the process with a more thorough interaction.