Multi-Level Science: Genetics from DNA to Populations

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A fundamental aspect of the complexity of modern science is the existence of multiple levels of abstraction embedding multiple layers of meaning and representation. This deep structure permeates virtually all areas of biology - developmental biology, physiology, anatomy, and genetics. Genetics, in particular, considers DNA, genes, chromosomes, individual organisms, kin, and populations. Behavior at each level is, in important ways, the functional consequence of processes that take place at lower levels. The overarching conceptual framework for this project is the inherent multi-level scale of genetic phenomena. We plan, through the use of advanced technology, to model this conceptual framework and to investigate its implications for the learning and teaching of genetics. We have chosen the subject of genetics as our initial area of focus for several reasons: it embodies a rich multi-level structure which lends itself perfectly to investigating the research issues; the dramatic advances in the science of genetics and genetics technology have important consequences for individuals and society; it is a rapidly changing area of enormous scientific interest in its own right; and it presents extraordinary difficulties to learning and teaching. We plan to develop GenScope, an interactive computer environment that presents the linked multi-level processes of genetics visually, dynamically, and in ways that make explicit the casual connections and interactions between them. The primary thrust of our project will be to investigate the educational use and benefits from student work with this environment, complemented by laboratory and classroom activities. Our hypothesis is that students will acquire a deeper understanding of the fundamental ideas, subsuming and spanning molecular, individual, and population genetics.