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TeachEnG: a Teaching Engine for Genomics

Minji Kim, Yeonsung Kim, Lei Qian, Jun S. Song
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/111054
Minji Kim
1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
2Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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Yeonsung Kim
2Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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Lei Qian
3Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208
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Jun S. Song
2Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
4Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
5Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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Abstract

Motivation Bioinformatics is a rapidly growing field that has emerged from the synergy of computer science, statistics, and biology. Given the interdisciplinary nature of bioinformatics, many students from diverse fields struggle with grasping bioinformatic concepts only from classroom lectures. Interactive tools for helping students reinforce their learning would be thus desirable. Here, we present an interactive online educational tool called TeachEnG (acronym for Teaching Engine for Genomics) for reinforcing key concepts in sequence alignment and phylogenetic tree reconstruction. Our instructional games allow students to align sequences by hand, fill out the dynamic programming matrix in the Needleman-Wunsch global sequence alignment algorithm, and reconstruct phylogenetic trees via the maximum parsimony and Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic mean (UPGMA) algorithms. With an easily accessible interface and instant visual feedback, TeachEnG will help promote active learning in bioinformatics.

Availability and Implementation: TeachEnG is freely available at http://song.igb.illinois.edu/TeachEnG/. It is written in JavaScript and compatible with Firefox, Safari, Chrome, and Microsoft Edge.

Contact: songi{at}illinois.edu

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
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Posted February 23, 2017.
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TeachEnG: a Teaching Engine for Genomics
Minji Kim, Yeonsung Kim, Lei Qian, Jun S. Song
bioRxiv 111054; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/111054
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TeachEnG: a Teaching Engine for Genomics
Minji Kim, Yeonsung Kim, Lei Qian, Jun S. Song
bioRxiv 111054; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/111054

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