An interactive modeling lesson increases students' understanding of ploidy during meiosis

Wright, L. Kate; Newman, Dina L.

doi:10.1002/bmb.20523

Cited by 22 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 11 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…In the work presented here, we delved deeper into students conceptual models and understanding of the molecular nature and behavior of chromosomes by investigating the elements and terminology that were used, or omitted, from their meiosis models (Figures 6 and 7). An interesting finding between the two analyses was that only 19% of individual students drew correct representations of chromosomes going through the process of meiosis in a preactivity assessment (Wright and Newman, 2011), whereas 85% of group models analyzed in this work were at least moderately correct (Table 2). It has been well documented in the literature that peer discussion improves performance on conceptual tasks (e.g., Smith et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

“…A key feature of this work was that biology students were first primed for learning by creating their own models of meiosis using manipulative materials (Wright and Newman, 2011). In the activity that followed, instructors probed students about chromosomal structure at the molecular level, in order to help them make connections between structure and behavior.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Even though instruction on chromosomes often begins in a middle school science class, students have difficulty understanding the process of meiosis; this phenomenon has been documented for more than 30 yr (Johnstone and Mahmoud, 1980; Stewart and Dale, 1989; Stewart et al. , 1990; Kindfield, 1991, 1994b; Dikmenli, 2010; Wright and Newman, 2011). Although this is a widely recognized problem, and many teaching approaches have been devised to attempt to solve it, little progress has been made, and no systematic studies have been undertaken to determine what students are thinking when they work on meiosis-related problems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Students Fail to Transfer Knowledge of Chromosome Structure to Topics Pertaining to Cell Division

Newman

Catavero

Wright

2012

LSE

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Cellular processes that rely on knowledge of molecular behavior are difficult for students to comprehend. For example, thorough understanding of meiosis requires students to integrate several complex concepts related to chromosome structure and function. Using a grounded theory approach, we have unified classroom observations, assessment data, and in-depth interviews under the theory of knowledge transfer to explain student difficulties with concepts related to chromosomal behavior. In this paper, we show that students typically understand basic chromosome structure but do not activate cognitive resources that would allow them to explain macromolecular phenomena (e.g., homologous pairing during meiosis). To improve understanding of topics related to genetic information flow, we suggest that instructors use pedagogies and activities that prime students for making connections between chromosome structure and cellular processes.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Students Fail to Transfer Knowledge of Chromosome Structure to Topics Pertaining to Cell Division

Newman

Catavero

Wright

2012

LSE

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In addition, misconceptions regarding the chromosome structure and genes may have impeded the understanding of heteroduplex formation and Holliday junction resolution. Students often fail to understand complex molecular processes because of misconceptions and gaps in their understanding of the basic chromosome structure and processes .…”

Section: Background and Purposementioning

confidence: 99%

Model building to facilitate understanding of holliday junction and heteroduplex formation, and holliday junction resolution

Selvarajah

Selvarajah²

2016

Biochem Molecular Bio Educ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Students frequently expressed difficulty in understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in chromosomal recombination. Therefore, we explored alternative methods for presenting the two concepts of the double-strand break model: Holliday junction and heteroduplex formation, and Holliday junction resolution. In addition to a lecture and computer-animated video, we included a model building activity using pipe cleaners. Biotechnology undergraduates (n = 108) used the model to simulate Holliday junction and heteroduplex formation, and Holliday junction resolution. Based on student perception, an average of 12.85 and 78.35% students claimed that they completely and partially understood the two concepts, respectively. A test conducted to ascertain their understanding about the two concepts showed that 66.1% of the students provided the correct response to the three multiple choice questions. A majority of the 108 students attributed the inclusion of model building to their better understanding of Holliday junction and heteroduplex formation, and Holliday junction resolution. This underlines the importance of incorporating model building, particularly in concepts that require spatial visualization. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 44(4):381-390, 2016.

show abstract

“…Computer‐assisted learning modules are likely more supportive of learning later in anatomy training when students are familiar with the materials, rather than as initial methods for learning content (Marsh et al, 2008; Wright and Newman, 2011). Careful design of anatomy materials for distance education, even if used as self‐directed adjuncts to face‐to‐face lectures, is necessary to enable successful learning outcomes (Smythe and Hughes, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The LINDSAY Virtual Human Project: An immersive approach to anatomy and physiology

Tworek

Jamniczky

Jacob

et al. 2012

Anatomical Sciences Ed

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The increasing number of digital anatomy teaching software packages challenges anatomy educators on how to best integrate these tools for teaching and learning. Realistically, there exists a complex interplay of design, implementation, politics, and learning needs in the development and integration of software for education, each of which may be further amplified by the somewhat siloed roles of programmers, faculty, and students. LINDSAY Presenter is newly designed software that permits faculty and students to model and manipulate three-dimensional anatomy presentations and images, while including embedded quizzes, links, and text-based content. A validated tool measuring impact across pedagogy, resources, interactivity, freedom, granularity, and factors outside the immediate learning event was used in conjunction with observation, field notes, and focus groups to critically examine the impact of attitudes and perceptions of all stakeholders in the early implementation of LINDSAY Presenter before and after a three-week trial period with the software. Results demonstrate that external, personal media usage, along with students' awareness of the need to apply anatomy to clinical professional situations drove expectations of LINDSAY Presenter. A focus on the software over learning, which can be expected during initial orientation, surprisingly remained after three weeks of use. The time-intensive investment required to create learning content is a detractor from user-generated content and may reflect the consumption nature of other forms of digital learning. Early excitement over new technologies needs to be tempered with clear understanding of what learning is afforded, and how these constructively support future application and integration into professional practice.

show abstract

An interactive modeling lesson increases students' understanding of ploidy during meiosis

Cited by 22 publications

References 11 publications

Students Fail to Transfer Knowledge of Chromosome Structure to Topics Pertaining to Cell Division

Students Fail to Transfer Knowledge of Chromosome Structure to Topics Pertaining to Cell Division

Model building to facilitate understanding of holliday junction and heteroduplex formation, and holliday junction resolution

The LINDSAY Virtual Human Project: An immersive approach to anatomy and physiology

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About