Student Engagement During an Experiment on the Bioelectrochemistry of Cytochrome c

Learning about electrochemical protein science and technology is useful due to its importance in society, for example, in widely used glucose biosensors. The aim of the experiment presented here is to provide third-year undergraduate chemistry students with an introduction to the electrochemistry of cytochrome c as a first step in bioelectrochemistry. The experiment was designed with the learning outcomes of the Curtin University unit Bioanalytical and Biophysical Chemistry in mind. The effectiveness of this experiment was measured via a modified version of the Advancing Science by Enhancing Learning in the Laboratory (ASELL) Students Laboratory Experience (ASLE) survey. Comparisons of the students’ experimental data to model data were employed, as well as an analysis of the ability of students to use and learn with a portable potentiostat and its relevant software. In the survey results, 69% of students agreed/strongly agreed with the statement “I found this to be an interesting experiment”, and the remaining students (31%) responded “neutral”, indicating an overall positive student experience. The student responses to the main goals of this experiment (i.e., development of laboratory skills, increasing understanding of electrochemistry, and development of data interpretation skills) were very favorable (positive responses were garnered from 92%, 84%, and 85% of students for each respective goal). The results show that this experiment on the electrochemistry of cytochrome c provides a basis for introducing new experimental methods and skills to undergraduate chemistry students.