Transcript bioscholarspresentationJK-2 - the Biology Scholars Program Wiki

Do non-majors learn genetics differently or at a
different rate than majors?
How do these groups of students think about and learn
genetics?
Jenny Knight
University of Colorado, Boulder
Biology Scholars Program Research Residency
Summer 2008
What I know and what prompted my interest:
Non-majors and majors begin and finish genetics
courses with similar misconceptions .
Majors achieve a higher score on the Genetics
Assessment Tool (pre-post test) and have a
higher learning gain overall, but the difference
compared to non-majors is surprisingly small.
Questions:
1. Do non-majors repair misconceptions
in genetics at a different rate than
majors?
2. How do non-majors and majors think
about and process these difficult
topics in genetics ?
Performance on The Genetics Assessment Tool
(GAT) gives us an idea of where students start
and end in understanding genetics
Non majors pre: 34% post: 70%
Majors
pre: 40% post: 78%
normalized gain: 54%
normalized gain: 63%
Example of a question from the GAT
21. Suppose there are two genes on two different chromosomes, one gene called G and
the other called D. An individual has the genotype GgDd. Which of the following
drawings correctly shows cells in this individual after DNA replication but before cell
division of the first meiosis? Assume no recombination/crossing-over occurs between the
chromosomes.
a)
b)
G
Gg
g
G
gG
g
D
Dd
d
D
dD
d
c)
d)
G
g G
g
G
G g
g
D
d D
d
D
D d
d
Example: student performance for two learning goals
Learning Goal 2:
genomes.
Describe the molecular anatomy of genes and
Learning Goal 3: Describe the mechanisms by which an organism’s
genome is passed on to the next generation.
There is a progression of learning (misconception shedding)
over the semester for all students
Average
performance (%) on
different measures
of the same
learning goal across
the semester.
LG 2: pre/post- 4
questions, Quiz- 1
question, Exam – 7
questions
LG 3: pre/post-5
questions, Quiz-4
questions, Exam-5
questions
Evidence and Design
1. Rate of repairing misconceptions:
We will characterize the progress students make towards understanding
particular topics at 4 different times during the semester:
1. Administer the multiple choice GAT on the first day of class in both
courses (PRE TEST)
2. Administer shared short multiple choice quiz after we address each
topic already identified as a misconception are (WHAT THEY KNOW
IMMEDIATELY AFTER INSTRUCTION)
3. Administer shared multiple choice exam questions at each of 3 midterm
exams (WHAT THEY KNOW AFTER STUDYING)
4. Administer the multiple choice GAT as part of the final exam in both
courses (POST TEST)
2. How do students think about and learn difficult
genetics concepts?
For this question, my goal is to characterize the following:
1. PROCESS: How students approach problems; where
they get stuck, and what they do when they get stuck (what
resources do they use). Also, what changes between the first
time they try to solve a hard problem and how they solve the
hard problem near the end of the semester?
2. TIME: how much time do students spend studying and
how often do they study.
3. PERCEPTION: do they think genetics is difficult; do
they think solving problems or doing activities is helpful
Evaluation tools: surveys, think aloud and focus interviews
PROCESS: Think aloud/Focus group interviews
•
Students will be asked to do a series of two interviews, each of the same format, one near
the beginning of the semester, and one near the end of the semester.
•
In the interview, students will be videotaped while working through a challenging problem
(on a misconception topic), thinking aloud and working together to solve the problem. The
videotape will be immediately played back to them, and the interviewer will then ask them
to reflect on the process of solving the problem. (I still need to develop the questions the
interviewer will ask).
PERCEPTION: Attitude Assessment (Bio CLASS):
• attitudes towards biology (expert vs. novice), administered pre and post.
TIME and PERCEPTION: Possible survey questions (end of semester):
I spend __ hours per week reviewing material or studying
I review the material we are learning in class: several times a week, once a week, only right
before the exam
Once I’ve taken the exam, I do/don’t go back to review that material again before the next
exam/final.
I find genetics easy medium difficult
The in-class activities help me learn the topic more/less/same as lectures on these topics
The in-class activities help me learn the topic more/less/same as working through the
homework
Genetics Learning Goals (for reference)
1. Analyze phenotypic data and deduce patterns of inheritance from family histories.
2. Describe the molecular anatomy of genes and genomes.
3. Describe the mechanisms by which an organism’s genome is passed on to the next
generation.
4. Describe the phenomenon of linkage and how it affects assortment of alleles during
meiosis.
5. Extract information about genes, alleles, and gene functions by analyzing the
progeny from genetic crosses.
6. Describe the processes that can affect the frequency of phenotypes in a population
over time.
7. Compare different types of mutations and describe how each can affect genes and
the corresponding mRNAs and proteins.
8 Apply the results of molecular genetic studies in model organisms to understanding
aspects of human genetics and genetic diseases.
9. Interpret results from molecular analyses to determine the inheritance patterns and
identities of human genes that can mutate to cause disease.