Proposal Title
Sprinkling real life onto pedigrees: Helping students develop a more accurate view of genetics.
Session Type
Poster
Room
Thames Hall Atrium
Start Date
13-7-2023 4:30 PM
End Date
13-7-2023 6:00 PM
Keywords
pedigree analysis, case study, deterministic view, dichotomous view, realistic view, nuanced view
Primary Threads
Teaching and Learning Science
Abstract
Human pedigree analysis exercises are staples of introductory genetics education, are well—received by students, and bring opportunities to practice their analytical skills (Timm et al., 2022). However, their dichotomous depiction of individuals fails to acknowledge that, in real life, practically all genetic conditions present a range of severity and diversity, both among the “affected” and the “unaffected” individuals. Besides the factual discrepancies between how genetic conditions are illustrated in pedigrees and what is known about them, using these simplified and reductionist representations might be reinforcing an inaccurately deterministic view of genetics (Jamieson and Radick, 2017).
To counteract this problem, we developed and piloted a realistic pedigree case study where students contend with many elements that are usually hidden and not mentioned in teaching materials. Presented with a family tree and the blood test results of a set of family members, students need to first decide on the criteria and processes to assess who is to be considered “affected”. They do this with the help of original data from the literature provided to them, and information that they can search online. As they analyze their pedigree, students are exposed to the real life ambiguities of inheritance models, have to consider confounding factors, and need to integrate different types of evidence to propose an answer.
The general strategy used to bring real-life complexity into a traditionally over-simplified topic is also discussed in terms of its applicability across topics and disciplines.
References cited:
Jamieson, A. & Radick, G. (2017). Genetic determinism in the genetics curriculum: An exploratory study of the effects of Mendelian and Weldonian emphases. Science Education, 1:577-595. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-017-9900-8
Timm, J., Wools, K., & Schmiemann, P. (2022). Secondary Students' Reasoning on Pedigree Problems. CBE life sciences education, 21(1), ar14. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.21-01-0009
Elements of Engagement
Participants will have a chance to try their hands at analyzing our pedigree, engage in conversation about its development, implementation, benefits, and drawbacks. We also invite poster visitors to share their expertise on the benefits and hidden pitfalls of simplification/reductionism in the teaching of their own discipline, as well as their strategies to honour nature’s complexities and nuances while also making them accessibly to novice learners.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 License.
Sprinkling real life onto pedigrees: Helping students develop a more accurate view of genetics.
Thames Hall Atrium
Human pedigree analysis exercises are staples of introductory genetics education, are well—received by students, and bring opportunities to practice their analytical skills (Timm et al., 2022). However, their dichotomous depiction of individuals fails to acknowledge that, in real life, practically all genetic conditions present a range of severity and diversity, both among the “affected” and the “unaffected” individuals. Besides the factual discrepancies between how genetic conditions are illustrated in pedigrees and what is known about them, using these simplified and reductionist representations might be reinforcing an inaccurately deterministic view of genetics (Jamieson and Radick, 2017).
To counteract this problem, we developed and piloted a realistic pedigree case study where students contend with many elements that are usually hidden and not mentioned in teaching materials. Presented with a family tree and the blood test results of a set of family members, students need to first decide on the criteria and processes to assess who is to be considered “affected”. They do this with the help of original data from the literature provided to them, and information that they can search online. As they analyze their pedigree, students are exposed to the real life ambiguities of inheritance models, have to consider confounding factors, and need to integrate different types of evidence to propose an answer.
The general strategy used to bring real-life complexity into a traditionally over-simplified topic is also discussed in terms of its applicability across topics and disciplines.
References cited:
Jamieson, A. & Radick, G. (2017). Genetic determinism in the genetics curriculum: An exploratory study of the effects of Mendelian and Weldonian emphases. Science Education, 1:577-595. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-017-9900-8
Timm, J., Wools, K., & Schmiemann, P. (2022). Secondary Students' Reasoning on Pedigree Problems. CBE life sciences education, 21(1), ar14. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.21-01-0009