The use of informatics as a mediator and facilitator of the pedagogical process in the teaching of biology

Abstract

Educational practices in general have proven to be an interesting alternative in the teaching and learning process. Among these practices, the use of various dynamics and games stands out. However, despite the advancement of information technology in education, games and practices for biology teaching have had limited migration to this technological realm. To address this issue, this study aimed to survey mobile applications and electronic games focused on biology education. Additionally, several useful scientific software tools for biology studies were identified, encompassing areas such as molecular visualization, sequence alignment, database search for similarities, phylogenetic analysis, genetic sequence analysis, programming, and statistical analysis of biological data, visualization of biological networks, image processing, and protein stability analysis. A total of 14 mobile applications were selected, all available for the Android platform, along with 8 applications for iOS. Regarding electronic games, four games were found, including two in the form of Android applications and two for personal computers. These findings underscore the need to develop biology-focused games and applications, both collaborative and individual, to support elementary science and biology teachers, as well as the potential of using scientific software to enhance basic education.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.56238/ptoketheeducati-013