Learning About Genetic Inheritance Through Technology~Enhanced Instruction

Genetics is an increasingly important topic in today's society, and one that permeates people's lives on many levels. Students, teachers, and the general public alike are constantly exposed to this topic through popular television shows such as "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," p...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science scope (Washington, D.C.) D.C.), 2012-10, Vol.36 (2), p.69-73
Main Authors: Williams, Michelle, Merritt, Joi, Opperman, Amanda, Porter, Jakob, Erlenbeck, Kyle
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alleles
Displays in education
Educational activities
Educational technology
Elementary Secondary Education
Epigenetic inheritance
Genetic inheritance
Genetics
Genotypes
Grade 7
Heredity
Junior high school students
Management
Methods
Middle School Students
Phenotypes
Phenotypic traits
Quantitative genetics
Science education
Sciences education
Simulation
Study and teaching
Teachers
Technology application
Technology Uses in Education
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Genetics is an increasingly important topic in today's society, and one that permeates people's lives on many levels. Students, teachers, and the general public alike are constantly exposed to this topic through popular television shows such as "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," political issues like voting on stem-cell research, and the inheritance of disease and disorders through their own family lineages. In addition, national science standards state the importance of genetics for K-12 education (NRC 2012). Yet the topic can be a challenging and abstract one for both teachers and students alike because of the various unseen processes involved (Alozie et al. 2010; Haga 2006). Thus, the authors designed a seventh-grade heredity module to address the complex and abstract nature of the topic while also meeting middle school content standards. One approach that has shown potential for teaching genetics to middle school students is the use of technology-enhanced instruction, which may lead to increased understanding by providing students with visualizations. This paper describes how a technology-enhanced module helped middle school students gain a more complete understanding of heredity through engaging them in online investigations. (Contains 4 figures.)
ISSN:0887-2376
1943-4901
DOI:10.2505/3/ss12_036_02