Biology Undergraduates' Misconceptions about Genetic Drift     

TM Andrews  RM Price  LS Mead  TL McElhinny  A Thanukos  KE Perez  CF Herreid  DR Terry  PP Lemons 《CBE life sciences education》2012,11(3):248-259

This study explores biology undergraduates' misconceptions about genetic drift. We use qualitative and quantitative methods to describe students' definitions, identify common misconceptions, and examine differences before and after instruction on genetic drift. We identify and describe five overarching categories that include 16 distinct misconceptions about genetic drift. The accuracy of students' conceptions ranges considerably, from responses indicating only superficial, if any, knowledge of any aspect of evolution to responses indicating knowledge of genetic drift but confusion about the nuances of genetic drift. After instruction, a significantly greater number of responses indicate some knowledge of genetic drift (p = 0.005), but 74.6% of responses still contain at least one misconception. We conclude by presenting a framework that organizes how students' conceptions of genetic drift change with instruction. We also articulate three hypotheses regarding undergraduates' conceptions of evolution in general and genetic drift in particular. We propose that: 1) students begin with undeveloped conceptions of evolution that do not recognize different mechanisms of change; 2) students develop more complex, but still inaccurate, conceptual frameworks that reflect experience with vocabulary but still lack deep understanding; and 3) some new misconceptions about genetic drift emerge as students comprehend more about evolution.  相似文献   

Gender differences in student performance in large lecture classrooms using personal response systems (‘clickers’) with narrative case studies     

Hosun Kang  Mary Lundeberg  Bjørn Wolter  Robert delMas  Clyde F. Herreid 《Learning, Media and Technology》2012,37(1):53-76

This study investigated gender differences in science learning between two pedagogical approaches: traditional lecture and narrative case studies using personal response systems (‘clickers’). Thirteen instructors of introductory biology classes at 12 different institutions across the USA and Canada used two types of pedagogy (Clicker Cases and traditional lecture) to teach eight topic areas. Three different sets of multiple regression analysis were conducted for three separate dependent variables: posttest score, change in score from posttest to final, and transfer score. Interactions between gender and pedagogical approach were found across the three analyses. Women either performed better with Clicker Cases, or about the same with either instructional method, but men performed markedly better with lectures in most topic areas. Our results suggest that men and women experience two pedagogical approaches—Clicker Cases and lectures—differently, and that Clicker Cases are more favorable for women than for men.  相似文献   

Context matters: increasing understanding with interactive Clicker Case studies     

Mary A. Lundeberg  Hosun Kang  Bj?rn Wolter  Robert delMas  Norris Armstrong  Bruno Borsari  Nancy Boury  Peggy Brickman  Kristi Hannam  Cheryl Heinz  Thomas Horvath  Maureen Knabb  Terry Platt  Nancy Rice  Bill Rogers  Joan Sharp  Eric Ribbens  Kimberly S. Maier  Mike Deschryver  Rodney Hagley  Tamar Goulet  Clyde F. Herreid 《Educational technology research and development : ETR & D》2011,59(5):645-671

Although interactive technology is presumed to increase student understanding in large classes, no previous research studies have empirically explored the effects of Clicker Cases on students?? performance. A Clicker Case is a story (e.g., a problem someone is facing) that uses clickers (student response systems) to engage students in understanding the meaning of the science contained within the story. Using an experimental randomized Solomon design across 11 institutions, we found that Clicker Cases increased student understanding more than PowerPoint lectures in large introductory biology classrooms, although there was variation across institutions and topics. By examining student performance in conjunction with faculty experience, we found that strong Clicker Cases created dissonance, captured attention and involved students in interpreting data or making decisions. This study provides a model for collaborative research across multiple institutions and demonstrates the need for using multiple institutions and topics in research on education.  相似文献