While expository texts are an efficient and dominant genre used by science teachers in the United States, they generally lack justification for their claims and fail to reflect science as practice. In contrast, epistemically considerate texts detail specific scientific experiments, providing the reader insight into the methods and data of a…

Problem-based learning encourages students to deepen their understanding of a concept by working through a real-world example of course content. Case studies represent a form of problem-based learning that engages students in realistic scenarios to achieve a deeper understanding of concepts. Case studies have been shown to facilitate the learning…

The discovery of and research into penicillin resistance by Sir Edward Abraham and Sir Ernst Chain can be used to teach the concept of natural selection and also multiple nature of science (NOS) objectives associated with Next Generation Science Standards, such as "scientific knowledge is based on empirical evidence" and "science is…

In an introductory biology course, we implemented a learner-centered, model-based pedagogy that frequently engaged students in building conceptual models to explain how genes determine phenotypes. Model-building tasks were incorporated within case studies and aimed at eliciting students' understanding of 1) the origin of variation in a population…

Many university leaders and faculty have the goal of promoting learning that connects across domains and prepares students with skills for their whole lives. However, as assessment emerges in higher education, many assessments focus on knowledge and skills that are specific to a single domain. Reworking assessment in higher education to focus on…

The purpose of this research was to explore the way pupils of different age groups use a model to understand abstract concepts in genetics. Pupils from early childhood to late adolescence were taught about genes and DNA using an analogical model (the wool model) during their regular biology classes. Changing conceptual understandings of the…