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Fostering 21st-Century Evolutionary Reasoning: Teaching Tree Thinking to Introductory Biology Students
Laura R Novick1, Kefyn M Catley2
1Department of Psychology and Human Development, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203-5721 Laura.Novick@vanderbilt.edu.
CBE Life Sciences Education
|November 25, 2016
Summary
A new curriculum significantly improved science undergraduates' ability to interpret Tree of Life (ToL) diagrams. This research-based instruction enhanced tree thinking skills, crucial for modern science literacy.
Area of Science:
- Biology education
- Phylogenetics
- Evolutionary biology
Background:
- Interpreting Tree of Life (ToL) diagrams is essential for 21st-century science literacy.
- Effective pedagogical approaches for teaching tree thinking are needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a research-based curriculum designed to teach tree thinking.
- To compare student gains in tree-thinking abilities between the new curriculum and traditional instruction.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 117 undergraduates in an introductory biology course.
- Experimental group received a research-based curriculum (booklet, lab, lectures).
- Control group received business-as-usual instruction; performance measured by a novel assessment instrument.
Main Results:
- The experimental group showed significantly greater gains in tree-thinking abilities compared to the control group.
- A medium effect size was observed.
- Gains persisted on an unannounced test administered 5-6 weeks post-instruction.
Conclusions:
- The research-based curriculum effectively enhances students' tree-thinking skills.
- Understanding that specific phylogenetic trees are subsets of the complete Tree of Life is critical for expertise.
- Further curriculum development should focus on this foundational concept.
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