EvoBeaker: Simulation software for teaching evolutionary biology

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Biological Science (61). This CCLI Educational Materials Development proof-of-concept project addresses the need for students to better understand evolution. It does this by constructing and testing EvoBeaker, a prototype computer simulation program for teaching evolutionary biology at the undergraduate level. Because evolution takes place over extended periods of time and at spatial scales that are beyond everyday experience; and because hands-on experiments in evolutionary biology cannot be conducted within a typical classroom setting, many students have difficulty understanding the key concepts underlying evolutionary theory. The EvoBeaker software allows students to conduct inquiry-based experiments on simulated populations and communities, thus permitting them to explore how evolution works at various levels, from alleles to phylogenetic trees. This project evaluates the effectiveness of EvoBeaker in reducing common student misconceptions about key concepts in evolution. In particular, it explores whether EvoBeaker clarifies how natural selection works, and whether it helps students to understand the relationship between the different levels at which evolutionary change can be analyzed (i.e., at the level of the genome, the individual, the population, the phylogenetic tree).