Abstract
BackgroundSimulations can be an active and engaging way for students to learn about natural selection, and many have been developed, including both physical and virtual simulations. In this study we assessed the student experience of, and learning from, two natural selection simulations, one physical and one virtual, in a large enrollment introductory biology lab course. We assigned students to treatments (the physical or virtual simulation activity) by section and assessed their understanding of natural selection using a multiple-choice pre-/post-test and short-answer responses on a post-lab assignment. We assessed student experience of the activities through structured observations and an affective survey.ResultsStudents in both treatments showed increased understanding of natural selection after completing the simulation activity, but there were no differences between treatments in learning gains on the pre-/post-test, or in the prevalence of concepts and misconceptions in written answers. On a survey of self-reported enjoyment they rated the physical activity significantly higher than the virtual activity. In classroom observations of student behavior, we found significant differences in the distribution of behaviors between treatments, including a higher frequency of off-task behavior during the physical activity.ConclusionsOur results suggest that both simulations are valuable active learning tools to aid students’ understanding of natural selection, so decisions about which simulation to use in a given class, and how to best implement it, can be motivated by contextual factors.
Highlights
Simulations can be an active and engaging way for students to learn about natural selection, and many have been developed, including both physical and virtual simulations
Natural selection simulations can help dispel misconceptions about the process because students can see, as they view the simulation, that individuals do not change but instead that differential survival and reproduction combined with heritability change the composition of the generation, and that selection acts on pre-existing variation rather than inducing variation
Students in the two groups showed no significant differences in presence of concepts or misconceptions in their responses to the short answer questions (Tables 4, 5). Together these results suggest that both simulations are effective at improving student understanding, and help students grapple with the key concepts of evolution by natural selection
Summary
Simulations can be an active and engaging way for students to learn about natural selection, and many have been developed, including both physical and virtual simulations. In this study we assessed the student experience of, and learning from, two natural selection simulations, one physical and one virtual, in a large enrollment introductory biology lab course. We assigned students to treatments (the physical or virtual simulation activity) by section and assessed their understanding of natural selection using a multiple-choice pre-/post-test and short-answer responses on a post-lab assignment. Since natural selection is difficult to observe directly in the context of a class (but see Krist and Showsh 2007; Plunkett and Yampolsky 2010; Serafini and Matthews 2009), many educators have turned to active learning approaches that use simulations of the process to dispel student misconceptions. Simulations that have been developed for teaching natural selection have included both simulations in which students physically manipulate objects or their own body to represent the population (Fifield and Fall 1992; Van Thiel 1994; Siegel et al 2005; Price 2011; Eterovic and Santos 2013; Hildebrand et al 2014), and simulations of virtual populations (Latham and Scully 2008; Abraham et al 2009; BraySpeth et al 2009; Soderberg and Price 2003; Yamanoi and Iwasaki 2015)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
