Biology teachers consider basic Mendelian genetics to be value-free, objective science, immune to misinterpretation and misuse. It may thus come as a surprise to learn that in the early days of genetics a cornerstone of genetics education, the dihybrid cross, was employed to support claims of the racial superiority of whites over blacks and to…

Learning progressions (LPs) are hypothetical models of how learning in a domain develops over time with appropriate instruction. In the domain of genetics, there are two independently developed alternative LPs. The main difference between the two progressions hinges on their assumptions regarding the accessibility of classical (Mendelian) versus…

We examined widely used popular calculus textbooks to explore opportunities to learn the limit concept. Definitions, worked problems, and exercise problems were coded to examine if these tasks allow students to use informal thinking to coordinate domain and range processes to understand the infinite process of limit. Results revealed many exercise…

We propose genetic social psychology as a theoretical framework to render intelligible both the suppression of the expression of prejudice and prejudice reduction in childhood. In particular, we explore the role of positive in-group norms in prejudice reduction in childhood and adolescence and their interplay with realistic and symbolic threats…

The present study examined genetic, prenatal, and postnatal environmental pathways in the intergenerational transmission of anxiety and depressive symptoms from parents to early adolescents (when these symptoms start to increase), while considering timing effects of exposure to parent anxiety and depressive symptoms postnatally. The sample was…

Genetics plays an increasing role in modern life as evidenced by the development of revolutionary techniques such as CRISPR-based genome editing and the rise of personalized genome services. However, genetics is difficult to learn; known issues include its abstract nature, different scales, and technical language. Pedigree analysis is a…

In this theoretical paper, I review the history of research in educational psychology that inspired Shulman's notion of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and I critically examine interpretations of PCK reflected in prominent theoretical frameworks for mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT). I propose a theory of PCK--grounded in radical…

This twin study examined the genetic and environmental etiology of vocabulary, syntax, and their association in first graders. French-speaking same-sex twins (n = 555) completed two vocabulary tests, and two scores of syntax were calculated from their spontaneous speech at 7 years of age. Multivariate latent factor genetic analyses showed that…

Integrating social issues into biology courses may be of particular interest for educators seeking to create inclusive science environments that support diverse populations. This social justice-focused service-learning project extended a partnership between a social justice institute and a nonprofit organization into an undergraduate introductory…

This study examined narrative ability in ASD and parents across two contexts differing in structure and emotional content, and explored gaze patterns that may underlie narrative differences by presenting narrative tasks on an eye tracker. Participants included 37 individuals with ASD and 38 controls, 151 parents of individuals with ASD and 63…

Current definitions of specific learning disability (SLD) identify a heterogeneous population that includes individuals with weaknesses in reading, math, or writing, and these academic difficulties often co-occur in many of the same individuals. The Colorado Learning Disabilities Research Center (CLDRC) is an interdisciplinary, multisite research…

Group formation is a critical factor which influences collaborative processes and performances in computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL). Automatic grouping has been widely used to generate groups with heterogeneous attributes and to maximize the diversity of students' characteristics within a group. But there are two dominant challenges…

Students often have no exposure to the incredible amount of genomic and proteomic data that is freely and easily accessible online. Becoming familiar with these resources, and seeing how they could be applied to a specific research question, is a prerequisite for students to apply them to their own scientific development. Many students have to…

CRISPR-cas technology is being incorporated into undergraduate biology curriculum through lab experiences to immerse students in modern technology that is rapidly changing the landscape of science, medicine and agriculture. We developed and implemented an educational module that introduces students to CRISPR-cas technology in a Genetic course and…

This teaching brief describes an engaging, in-class exercise that introduces genetic algorithms as well as advanced Excel functions and capabilities by modeling the familiar Sudoku puzzle. Student groups are first asked to manually solve a given puzzle and then translate that solution methodology to a spreadsheet model. This exercise can be used…