Modern science education reform includes the development of standards and recommendations for content as well as the development and evaluation of pedagogy, but demonstrates limited assessment of student knowledge. Student knowledge assessment is an important factor in measuring the scientific literacy of current students. Concept inventories have been developed and used for the past fourteen years to assess non-science major student conceptual understanding of a content area. Inventories have been developed in the fields of physics, astronomy, chemistry and biology. The development and evaluation of a Genetics Concept Inventory (GCI) is presented here. The reliability estimate of 0.62 is supported by a respected panel of genetics educators' revisions, no significant gender bias, and the ability of junior and senior biology majors to outperform the non-science majors. Pretest/Posttest comparisons show a significant increase in five of six genetics content areas as well as a 9% increase on the overall percent score for the instrument. Although the Genetics Concept Inventory presented here needs further modification and testing, it is the first step in the development of a quality assessment tool for genetics content. / Department of Biology

This study investigated the knowledge and skills that biology students may need to help them understand statistics/mathematics as it applies to genetics. The data are based on analyses of current representative genetics texts, practicing genetics professors' perspectives, and more directly, students' perceptions of, and performance in, doing statistically-based genetics problems. This issue is at the emerging edge of modern college-level genetics instruction, and this study attempts to identify key theoretical components for creating a specialized biological statistics curriculum. The goal of this curriculum will be to prepare biology students with the skills for assimilating quantitatively-based genetic processes, increasingly at the forefront of modern genetics. To fulfill this, two college level classes at two universities were surveyed. One university was located in the northeastern US and the other in the West Indies. There was a sample size of 42 students and a supplementary interview was administered to a select 9 students. Interviews were also administered to professors in the field in order to gain insight into the teaching of statistics in genetics. Key findings indicated that students had very little to no background in statistics (55%). Although students did perform well on exams with 60% of the population receiving an A or B grade, 77% of them did not offer good explanations on a probability question associated with the normal distribution provided in the survey. The scope and presentation of the applicable statistics/mathematics in some of the most used textbooks in genetics teaching, as well as genetics syllabi used by instructors do not help the issue. It was found that the text books, often times, either did not give effective explanations for students, or completely left out certain topics. The omission of certain statistical/mathematical oriented topics was seen to be also true with the genetics syllabi reviewed for this study. Nonetheless, although the necessity for infusing these quantitative subjects with genetics and, overall, the biological sciences is growing (topics including synthetic biology, molecular systems biology and phylogenetics) there remains little time in the semester to be dedicated to the consolidation of learning and understanding.

The fundamental objective of this research was to investigate the usefulness and appropriateness of computer simulation to improve the acquisition of necessary skills used in genetic analysis. Interactive computer simulations were developed and tested for their effectiveness in achieving the desired goal. These simulations were tested for six months before full implementation. The final testing took place over a nine-month period and involved a total of sixty-five beginning genetics students from five different classes. The students in the classes were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups.A pre/posttest, based upon behavioral objectives specifically written for the simulations, was administered. A two-way analysis of variance was used with the independent factors of treatment and sex. The dependent variable was the posttest. A second two-way analysisof variance was used with the same independent factors, but the dependent variable was the final numerical course score.The analysis showed no significant differences between the groups tested. However, a secondary analysis of the groups involved in the Summer of 1980 showed that the mean posttest score of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group. Note .that the Summer class was taught in five weeks, whereas the other classes were taught over an eleven-week period.Tie results of this study indicate that (1) simulations were as effective as, but not significantly more effective than, the "live" laboratory experiments in improving student skills in genetic analysis, and (2) simulations can be used very effectively as a backup system in case "live" experiments cannot be performed. Finally, this study suggests that further research should be conducted on the effectiveness of computer simulations with students who are taking courses that axe compressed into short time spans.

Copies of author's previously published works inserted. / Bibliography: leaves 236-268. / viii, 268, [77] p. : ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Depts. of Education and Genetics, 1997

The problem investigated was whether the human genetics content taught in higher education institutions throughout the United States correlates with the needs of the lay population, general studies students, and with the content offered in the human genetics courses at Ball State University. Questionnaires were sent nationwide to faculty who teach human genetics to determine the content currently being taught. Another form of the questionnaire was sent to a population of genetic counselors to determine the needs of the lay population concerning human genetics content. Additional data were collected from faculty of human genetics courses at Ball State University.Results and ConclusionsThe content of a typical human genetics course was determined from data obtained from the faculty questionnaire. The content needed in a human genetics course to produce a genetically literate lay population was determined from the data obtained from genetic counselors. The data obtained from the two populations were analyzed. Significant differences between the populations in recommended content for a human genetics course were found. These differences included variationsin: time allotments devoted to specific topics, inclusions of specific human genetics diseases/defects, and the teaching approach (i.e., faculty use various human genetics diseases/defects to emphasize the mode of transmission whereas genetic counselors stress the clinical aspects).Using the combined data obtained from both populations, the content of a model human genetics course was profiled. Topics included in the course, time allotments (mean of means), genetic diseases/ defects, and the teaching approach were determined.RecommendationsFaculty developing a human genetics course could use the model human genetics profile as a guide. However, the content in a human genetics course should be adapted to the students' needs.An additional study to determine the factors which genetic counselors consider when determining the importance of a genetic disease/defect, would be helpful.Since the knowledge base in human genetics is rapidly increasing, this study should be repeated every two or three years to maintain validity of the model profile.

In this study, an experimental group of college honors students were given instruction via researcher-developed Piagetian concrete operational learning strategies for the purpose of assessing: (1) the effectiveness of the strategies on concept acquisition in human genetics, and (2) growth in intellectual development as a result of the students' being instructed by concrete operational learning strategies rather than lecture.Evaluation of the effectiveness of the learning strategies on human genetics concept acquisition required the construction of comprehensive and unit pre/post-tests and administration of these tests to both experimental and control group populations. A Piagetian Task Instrument was administered as a pre/post-test to selected experimental group members to assess their growth, if any, in intellectual development. In addition, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) was used as a diagnostic instrument in an attempt to identify students preferring to learn via a concrete operational mode of instruction regardless of their Piagetian level of intellectual development.The comprehensive and unit pre/post-tests and the MBTI were administered for the purpose of testing the following null hypotheses: Null Hypothesis 1. There are no significant differences between themeans of the comprehensive pretest results and the comprehensive post-test results for either the experimental or control groups.NullHypothesis2.There is no significant difference between the experimental and the control groups with respect to the means of the comprehensive pre/post-test results.Null Hyothesis 3. There are no significant differences between the means of the results on the unit pretests and the unit posttests for either the experimental group or the control group.Null Hypothesis, 4. There are no significant differences between the means of the unit pre/post-test results when comparing the experimental and control groups.Null Hypothesis 5. There is no significant correlation between students preference, as indicated by a Likert scale item, for instructional method with any one or more of the indices on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.Results of the study led to the rejection of null hypotheses 1 and 3 at less than the .001 level. These data indicate that both concrete operational learning strategies and lecture were effective instructional methods in facilitating long-term and short-term human genetics concept acquisition.

Genetics has been identified as a subject area which many students find difficult to comprehend. The researcher, who is also a lecturer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, had noted over a number of years that students find the field of quantitative genetics particularly challenging. The aim of this investigation was two-fold. Firstly, during the diagnostic phase of the investigation, to obtain empirical evidence on the nature of difficulties and alternative conceptions that may be experienced by some students in the context of quantitative genetics. Secondly, to develop, implement and assess an intervention during the remediation phase of the study which could address the identified difficulties and alternative conceptions. The research was conducted from a human constructivist perspective using an action research approach. A mixed-method, pragmatic paradigm was employed. The study was conducted at the University of KwaZulu-Natal over four years and involved third-year students studying introductory modules in quantitative genetics. Empirical evidence of students' conceptual frameworks, student difficulties and alternative conceptions was obtained during the diagnostic phase using five research instruments. These included: free-response probes, multiple-choice diagnostic tests, student-generated concept maps, a word association study and student interviews. Data were collected, at the start and completion of the modules, to ascertain the status of students' prior knowledge (prior knowledge concepts), and what they had learnt during the teaching of the module (quantitative genetics concepts). Student-generated concept maps and student interviews were used to determine whether students were able to integrate their knowledge and link key concepts of quantitative genetics. This initial analysis indicated that many students had difficulty integrating their knowledge of variance and heritability, and could not apply their knowledge of quantitative genetics to the solution of practical problems. Multiple-choice diagnostic tests and interviews with selected students were used to gather data on student difficulties and alternative conceptions. The results suggested that students held five primary difficulties or alternative conceptions with respect to prior knowledge concepts: (1) confusion between the terms variation and variance; (2) inappropriate association of heterozygosity with variation in a population; (3) inappropriate association of variation with change; (4) inappropriate association of equilibrium with inbred populations and with values of zero and one; and, (5) difficulty relating descriptive statistics to graphs of a normal distribution. Furthermore, three major difficulties were detected with respect to students understanding of quantitative genetics concepts: (1) students frequently confused individual and population measures such as breeding value and heritability; (2) students confused the terms heritability and inheritance; and, (3) students were not able to link descriptive statistics such as variance and heritability to histograms. Students found the concepts of variance and heritability to be particularly challenging. A synthesis of the results obtained from the diagnostic phase indicated that many of the difficulties and alternative conceptions noted were due to confusion between certain terms and topics and that students had difficulty with the construction and interpretation of histograms. These results were used to develop a model of the possible source of students' difficulties. It was hypothesized and found that the sequence in which concepts are introduced to students at many South African universities could be responsible for difficulties and alternative conceptions identified during the study, particularly the inappropriate association of terms or topics. An intervention was developed to address the identified difficulties and alternative conceptions. This intervention consisted of a series of computer-based tutorials and concept mapping exercises. The intervention was then implemented throughout a third year introductory module in quantitative genetics. The effectiveness of the intervention was assessed using the multiple-choice diagnostic tests and interview protocols developed during the diagnostic phase. The knowledge of the student group who participated in the intervention (test group) was compared against a student group from the previous year that had only been exposed to conventional teaching strategies (control group). t-tests, an analysis of covariance and a regression analysis all indicated that the intervention had been effective. Furthermore, an inductive analysis of the student responses indicted that most students understanding of the concepts of variance, heritability and histograms was greatly improved. The concept maps generated by students during the remediation phase, and data from the student interviews, provided an indication of the nature and extent of the conceptual change which had occurred during the teaching of the module. The results showed that most of the conceptual change could be classified as conceptual development or conceptual capture and not conceptual exchange. Furthermore, it seemed that conceptual change had occurred when considered from an epistemological, ontological and affective perspective, with most students indicating that they felt they had benefited from all aspects of the intervention. The findings of this research strongly suggest an urgent need to redesign quantitative genetics course curricula. Cognisance should be taken of both the sequence and the manner in which key concepts are taught in order to enhance students' understanding of this highly cognitively demanding area of genetics. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

The following is a complete syllabus for a college level genetics course. The syllabus contains lecture outlines and notes for each chapter, along with a list of transparencies needed. The quizzes and exams are prepared and placed at the beginning of the syllabus. The beginning of the course will consist of a lecture to introduce the students to the basics of genetics, followed by many applications of genetics. The process of cell division will be mastered by the students, as well as Mendelian genetics, quantitative genetics, chromosome mapping, and inheritance. The replication, synthesis, and organization of DNA are also discussed within the lectures. The final topics that will be covered using this syllabus are genetics of cancer and immunology and population genetics. These topics are essential for a detailed genetics course. The syllabus is written in great detail, and will require a full semester to be completed. The book used in association with this syllabus is Essentials of Genetics by William S. Klug and Michael R. Cummings.

The academic and geographic origins of current members of the Genetics Society of America who are listed in the 1979 edition of American Men and Women of Science were investigated. The 1,186 geneticists included in this study received their baccalaureate degrees from 393 different institutions of higher education. The 1,194 doctorates granted were awarded by 143 different institutions.Also included in the investigation was a study of the geneticists' ages, areas of specialization, places of employment, and length of time for graduate work. In addition, data about male and female members of the Genetics Society of America were compared and contrasted.Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN 47306