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Related Concept Videos

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Updated: Jan 19, 2026

Evolutionary History of Life on Earth
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Development of an Evolutionary Tree Concept Inventory.

Tyler A Kummer1, Clinton J Whipple1, Seth M Bybee1

  • 1Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602.

Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education
|September 11, 2019
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

A new multiple-choice concept inventory was developed to assess student understanding of evolutionary trees and tree-thinking in biology. This tool helps measure comprehension of these crucial evolutionary concepts among undergraduate students.

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Area of Science:

  • Biology Education
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Scientific Literacy

Background:

  • Tree-thinking and evolutionary trees are fundamental to understanding biological evolution.
  • Existing assessments do not adequately measure student comprehension of these core concepts.
  • There is a need for a reliable tool to evaluate understanding of evolutionary concepts.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and validate a multiple-choice concept inventory for assessing student understanding of tree-thinking and evolutionary trees.
  • To create a reliable instrument for educators to gauge student learning in evolutionary biology.
  • To provide evidence supporting the use of this new concept inventory with undergraduate students.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a 24-item multiple-choice concept inventory guided by specific learning outcomes.
  • Utilized student interviews and responses for item refinement.
  • Employed statistical analyses including item analysis, factor analysis, and reliability testing.

Main Results:

  • A validated 24-item multiple-choice concept inventory was successfully developed.
  • Evidence from various analyses supports the inventory's reliability and utility.
  • The concept inventory effectively measures student understanding of evolutionary trees.

Conclusions:

  • The developed concept inventory is a valuable tool for assessing student understanding of tree-thinking and evolutionary concepts.
  • This instrument can aid educators in identifying learning gaps and improving instruction in evolutionary biology.
  • Further discussion on the implementation and utility of the concept inventory is provided.