Learning Concepts in Evolution Using Malaria as a Case Study

Abstract

OPEN ACCESSMay 11, 2010Learning Concepts in Evolution Using Malaria as a Case Study Aditi Pai, PhD Aditi Pai, PhD Spelman College Google Scholar More articles by this author https://doi.org/10.15766/mep_2374-8265.8086 SectionsAbout ToolsDownload Citations ShareFacebookTwitterEmail AbstractThe primary aim of this resource is to promote student understanding of the importance of evolutionary theory to medicine. This module uses malaria as a case study for learning basic concepts in evolutionary biology by using examples in which malaria acts as an evolutionary force. In the first of the four case study assignments, students learn about malaria as a selective agent on human populations. In the second week, the assignment is designed to allow students to make connections between concepts in population genetics by learning about sickle cell allele frequency in various human populations. In the latter two assignments, another evolution story related to malaria (i.e., that of drug resistance in malaria parasites) is explored. Instructors may also use the emergence of insecticide resistance in malaria vector mosquitoes as a topic for additional assignments. At the end of the fourth exercise, students are asked to articulate the importance of evolutionary theory in medicine.Survey results revealed that students at Spelman College appreciate this structure and the materials in the case study. Specifically, the aims of the assessment were to determine if this pedagogical approach was interesting or useful to the students, effective in improving students' knowledge, and effective in enhancing students' learning experience compared to a traditional biology class. The results of these three assessment activities revealed that students rated their interest in case-study work to be high and indicated that their subject knowledge was significantly enhanced. A comparison of students' evaluation of their learning experiences in the old and the new case-study-based introductory biology class, even with the same instructor, showed that they rated their learning to be significantly better in the case-study-based class. The data suggest that the case study based approach was more effective in engaging students and enhancing their learning. Educational Objectives By the end of the module, the learner will be able to: List conditions for natural selection to take place.Discuss how natural selection acts on individuals but evolution is seen at a population level.Predict whether the mutation will spread or not when given the nature of a mutation and the nature of the environment it is in.Explain how drug resistance arises in malaria parasites.Predict what would happen if infected people or mosquitoes moved from populations with drug resistant malaria, to populations without drug resistant parasites.Propose solutions to controlling malaria using evolutionary thinking.Provide two examples of how evolutionary thinking is relevant to disease management. Sign up for the latest publications from MedEdPORTAL Add your email below FILES INCLUDEDReferencesRelatedDetails FILES INCLUDED Included in this publication: Instructor Notes for Malaria and Evolution case.doc Malaria and Evolution Case Instructor Version.ppt Malaria and Evolution Case Student Version.ppt To view all publication components, extract (i.e., unzip) them from the downloaded .zip file. Download editor’s noteThis publication may contain technology or a display format that is no longer in use. CitationPai A. Learning Concepts in Evolution Using Malaria as a Case Study. MedEdPORTAL. 2010;6:8086. https://doi.org/10.15766/mep_2374-8265.8086 Copyright & Permissions© 2010 Pai. This is an open-access publication distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike license.KeywordsHardy- WeinbergSalariaMCATGene ExpressionSickle CellGeneticsCase StudyToxicologyEvolutionGene FlowDrug ResistanceNatural Selection Disclosures The authors received a HHMI grant to develop this course for Spelman College and an AAMC grant to develop this manuscript. Funding/Support None to report. Prior Presentations Presented at: Fall Conference of National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science. Institutional Resarch and Academic Career Development Awards Conference; June 2007. Loading ...