Molecular+Workbench

// **Molecular Workbench** // // **http://workbench.concord.org/** //

The Molecular Workbench software contains a large database of molecular models for purposes of student visualization and/or manipulation. It also has a vast number of activities designed to help the student explore molecular principles and phenomena interactively. It is highly relevant in educational settings, particularly for middle and high school science students of biology, chemistry, and physics. Using this program, students can directly interact with a number of different molecular models and simulations. The activities included in the software examine a massive range of topics, for example: diffusion, DNA transcription and translation, mutation, intermolecular forces, quantum mechanics, heat and energy, solubility, and gas laws, among __many__ others. On top of all that, educators can create their own activities on the program, allowing for simulations specifically tailored to an individual class.

The Molecular Workbench is valuable because of its visual presentation of principles that students may have only read about; it reinforces visualization by allowing the user to rotate and manipulate molecules in 3-D. It is free to download and open-source and, therefore, presents few issues for acquisition and use. I would highly recommend this software to teachers who are looking for ways to reinforce concepts discussed in their science classes, or who are in need of a foundation for a student research project in biology, chemistry, or physics.

Similar to my observations with Celestia, concepts on very large or very small scales are often difficult for students to visualize. This software supports meta-cognition in that students who may be having difficulty with molecular concepts can reinforce their understanding by approaching the material from a visual domain. Primarily visual learners would have trouble picturing processes that happen at a level undetectable to the human eye. Students who are aware that visual presentation of material is the best way for them to learn could turn to this software.

Below is an example of one of the interactive activities available. It would be ideal for AP Biology students.

 