The effect of using a semi-automated image processing mobile application on undergrad students' perception in a complex science experiment

Abstract

Certain scientific education experiments require calculation and analysis, which take multiple steps. It would be more effective in science lab learning if we could apply a mobile device technology to help students deal with complicated steps in the scientific analysis. SDS-PAGE is a basic protein analysis for several applications. In the traditional approach, users have to calculate the protein molecular weight which takes 30 minutes on average. This paper implemented and evaluated a novel method for calculating the protein molecular weight on SDS-PAGE using a mobile app and applied it to a science lab experiment to support learning from anywhere at any time. The experimental results showed that the average protein molecular weight calculation time of the mobile app approach was significantly lower than the traditional approach. In addition, based on the perception questionnaire, it was found that the protein learning time was reduced and user satisfaction was increased.