Linking organisational levels to make cell membranes tangible: A proposal for student-centered threshold concepts and learning environment for upper grades

Abstract

Understanding the molecular processes at cell membranes is important not only for scientific reasons but also for its societal and educational significance – evident, for example, in the development of new COVID-19 vaccines. However, the interdisciplinary, rapidly evolving, and often abstract, as in not directly perceivable, nature of cell membrane biology makes it difficult for educators and curriculum developers to create lessons that are meaningful for students. Building on the comparison between scientists’ and students' conceptions as well as German Educational Standards for University Entrance, this article proposes threshold concepts that students need to overcome to understand the relevance of cell membranes for, amongst others, their own body. Based on this, we recommend specific learning materials and teaching strategies, such as working with analogies and connecting the molecular biology foundations of cell membrane biology with higher levels of biological organisation. We hope that the learning unit proposed here can serve as a starting point for direct application and further development in biology education.