Abstract Detail
Teaching Section Gibson, J. Phil [1], Hoefnagels, Marielle [1]. Tree-Thinking in Introductory Biology Evolution Education. Introductory-level biology majors are often overwhelmed by the amount of data supporting evolution that is typically condensed into only a few lectures "on evolution" during the semester. We are testing whether a curriculum based on Tree-thinking improves understanding and acceptance of evolution. Tree-thinking is an approach to evolution education based on the idea that there is a link between learning evolutionary theory and understanding how evolution is represented in phylogenetic diagrams. This curriculum infuses evolution throughout the semester, presents evolution as a topic for hypothesis testing and experimentation, and gives students experiences they can use to construct their own conceptual understanding of the topic. We present results of the first four semesters of the study, which indicate success with our curriculum, as well as preliminary data from a study of non-majors. Broader Impacts:
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1 - University of Oklahoma, Department of Botany and Microbiology Department of Zoology, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
Keywords:
evolution
tree-thinking
science education.
Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Sections
Session: P
Location: Khorassan Ballroom/Chase Park Plaza
Date: Monday, July 11th, 2011
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: PTE001
Abstract ID:86 | 