The ‘Tea Test’ - A mobile phone based spectrophotometer protocol to introduce biochemical methods independent of the laboratory

Hubbard, Katharine; Birycka, Marlena; Britton, Maisie-Elizabeth; Coates, Joseph; Coxon, Isla; Jackson, Chloe; Nicholas, Casper; Priestley, Tyler; Robins, JJ; Ryczko, Paula; Sailsbury, Talia; Shand, Megan; Snodin, George; Worsley, Beth

Abstract

Providing hands-on practical education without access to laboratories during the Covid-19 pandemic has required creativity and innovation. In this paper, co-authored by academic staff and students, we describe an at-home mobile phone based ‘spectrophotometer’ experiment used in an introductory undergraduate biology course. Using colour picker apps, a smartphone can be used to quantify concentration, which we used to compare the strengths of different brands of tea. The protocol is designed to be low-cost and safe to perform outside of a laboratory. It teaches students important biochemical methods such as preparing dilutions, constructing calibration curves, normalising data and testing a hypothesis. We reflect on the experience of developing and using the protocol from a staff and student perspective, which highlights the advantages of this approach in terms of student independence and inclusivity. We also suggest alternative experiments that could be performed using the protocol. We encourage biology educators to think creatively about the possibilities for using mobile phones or at-home experiments in their teaching. Our experience suggests that at-home experiments like this protocol will have value even after the pandemic is over, particularly in terms of inclusivity.

Citation

Hubbard, K., Birycka, M., Britton, M., Coates, J., Coxon, I., Jackson, C., …Worsley, B. (in press). The ‘Tea Test’ - A mobile phone based spectrophotometer protocol to introduce biochemical methods independent of the laboratory. Journal of Biological Education, https://doi.org/10.1080/00219266.2022.2072934

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 31, 2022
• Online Publication Date: May 21, 2022
• Deposit Date: May 13, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: May 23, 2022
• Journal: Journal of Biological Education
• Print ISSN: 0021-9266
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00219266.2022.2072934
• Keywords: Mobile phone; Smartphone; Spectrophotometer; Biochemistry; Inclusivity; COVID-19; Student partnership
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/3994053