Proposal Title
Comparing post-course retention of conceptual and procedural knowledge in genetics
Session Type
Poster
Room
PAB Atrium
Start Date
9-7-2013 5:30 PM
Keywords
genetics, retention, conceptual understanding, problem solving
Primary Threads
Evaluation of Learning
Abstract
A strong indicator of learning is the retention of knowledge after a course is complete. Here we report differences in retention of conceptual versus procedural knowledge after students completed a second year Fundamentals of Genetics course at the University of British Columbia. Students who took the course showed significant retention of conceptual knowledge approximately two and a half months after course completion. However, their ability to solve problems using their conceptual understanding was significantly diminished. With information about retention we can make informed decisions about how much time to devote to teaching various concepts and procedural skills. As well, conceptual knowledge and skills that are valued in biology should likely be taught multiple times over the course of a degree to ensure sufficient long term retention of such knowledge.
Comparing post-course retention of conceptual and procedural knowledge in genetics
PAB Atrium
A strong indicator of learning is the retention of knowledge after a course is complete. Here we report differences in retention of conceptual versus procedural knowledge after students completed a second year Fundamentals of Genetics course at the University of British Columbia. Students who took the course showed significant retention of conceptual knowledge approximately two and a half months after course completion. However, their ability to solve problems using their conceptual understanding was significantly diminished. With information about retention we can make informed decisions about how much time to devote to teaching various concepts and procedural skills. As well, conceptual knowledge and skills that are valued in biology should likely be taught multiple times over the course of a degree to ensure sufficient long term retention of such knowledge.