1. Learning About Proteins: Asking the Right Questions
Meenakshi Bhattacharya, Ph.D.
Shuchismita Dutta, Ph.D.
Developed as part of the RCSB Collaborative Curriculum Development Program 2016

2. List ways in which proteins are important in biology and medicine
Learning Objectives
List ways in which proteins are important in biology and medicine
Develop questions that can guide learning about protein structure and functions
Developed as part of the RCSB Collaborative Curriculum Development Program 2016

3. Question Formulation TechniqueTM
Also referred to as QFTTM
Steps – Decide on a topic
Produce as many questions as you can (in a group or individually)
Categorize questions as open or closed
Improve questions by changing some closed questions to open ones and vice-versa
Prioritize the Questions
Decide how to use the Questions ©
Developed as part of the RCSB Collaborative Curriculum Development Program 2016

4. Asking and Improving Questions
Ask Questions (2 mins)
Ask as many questions as you can
Do not stop to discuss, judge or answer the questions
Write down every question just as you think of them
Change any statement into a question
Organize questions (2-3 mins)
Closed-ended questions – can be answered with “yes” or “no” or with one word
Open-ended questions – require an explanation and cannot be answered with yes” or “no” or with one word
Identify and mark the closed-ended questions with a C and the open-ended questions with an O
Improve questions (2 mins)
Review questions and change one closed ended question into an open-ended
Then, change one open-ended question into a closed-ended one
Developed as part of the RCSB Collaborative Curriculum Development Program 2016

5. These are pictures of three year old boy “J.L.”
Examine Pictures
These are pictures of three year old boy “J.L.”
Before
After
Image courtesy Eli Lilly and Company Archives
The photo on the left was taken in Dec 15, 1922 and the right photo of the same boy was taken on Feb 15, 1923
Developed as part of the RCSB Collaborative Curriculum Development Program 2016

6. Change any statements about the pictures into a question
Apply the QFTTM Method
What questions come to your mind regarding these pictures and their subject?
Change any statements about the pictures into a question
Organize and mark your questions as closed- and open-ended questions
Change one open-ended question into a closed-ended one and vice-versa
Developed as part of the RCSB Collaborative Curriculum Development Program 2016

7. Additional Information
On Dec 15, 1922, before insulin was administered JL weighed only 15 lbs. (child in mother’s arm).
After treatment with insulin, by Feb 15, 1923, JL weighed 29 lbs.
Before
After
Image courtesy Eli Lilly and Company Archives
The photo on the left was taken in Dec 15, 1922 and the right photo of the same boy was taken on Feb 15, 1923
Developed as part of the RCSB Collaborative Curriculum Development Program 2016

8. Improving Questions
Based on you just learned, do you want to make any changes/additions to your questions?
Developed as part of the RCSB Collaborative Curriculum Development Program 2016

9. Choose the three most important questions from your list
Prioritize Questions
Choose the three most important questions from your list
Number each question in order of priority
Developed as part of the RCSB Collaborative Curriculum Development Program 2016

10. What are the top three priority questions in the class?
Share Questions
What are the top three priority questions in the class?
What are some of the rationales for selecting these questions?
Developed as part of the RCSB Collaborative Curriculum Development Program 2016

11. Reflection What did you learn? What value does it have?
What value does it have?
Post the top 3-5 questions on the classroom wall to guide learning about Proteins.
Developed as part of the RCSB Collaborative Curriculum Development Program 2016