Aplicativos para smartphone em aulas de genética no ensino médio : caracterização e proposta de uso pelo método investigativo

Abstract

The teaching of genetics is a challenge due to the enormous difficulty faced by the students to relate the content of the classes with their daily lives. One novel approach to facilitate the assimilation of this content is through the use of information and communication technologies, such as smartphones, which permit the use of applications (apps) related to the content, both in the classroom and outside of it. The present study aimed to identify and describe the open access apps available in Portuguese that present content on Mendelian genetics. One of these apps was selected based on the evaluation of college lecturers in the field of genetics, and it was then used to develop a teaching program based on the investigative method, by evaluating the use of the app in the classroom by high school students. The results indicated that the use of the app had a positive impact on the assimilation of basic genetic concepts in the majority of the students. The students were not only able to relate the content to their daily lives, but also demonstrated greater interest in the topic, and were more participative in the classroom. Given these findings, the use of this type of technology as a teaching resource would appear to be potentially valuable for the assimilation of knowledge on genetics by the students.