Implementation and evaluation of the Model of the Use of Evolutionary Trees (MUET) curricular module in an introductory organismal biology course

ABSTRACT

The Model of the Use of Evolutionary Trees (MUET)-curricular module that systematically and comprehensively introduces the learning of evolutionary trees for the lower-level college students was developed and implemented in an introductory organismal biology laboratory course at a mid-size, doctoral degree-granting institution. A quasi-experimental, nonrandomised control group, pretest–posttest research design was used to assess students' improvement of their tree-thinking ability. In this study, the students in the MUET-curricular module were the experimental group (N = 174) and the students in the traditional curricular module were the control group (N = 170). Paired t-test results revealed a statistically significant increase in students' tree-thinking ability in the MUET-curricular module (t(173) = −4.38; p < 0.001). Wilcoxon signed rank test results demonstrated a statistically significant increase in students' self-reported perceptions of their tree-thinking ability in the cognitive dimension in the MUET-curricular module (z = −5.68, p < 0.01, r = −0.32). Results show that the MUET-curricular module can be used in the introductory biology contexts as an effective teaching resource in the teaching and learning of tree-thinking.

KEYWORDS:

• MUET
• phylogenetic trees
• tree thinking
• evolutionary trees
• introductory biology
• curricular module
• active learning

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Drs Nancy Pelaez, Christina E. D'Arcy, and Xian He for their insightful comments and to members of the Biology Education Research Group at the University of Texas at El Paso for their participation and suggestions in the initial field testing of the MUET curricular module.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Plan of Educational Sciences in China: [Grant Number BHA220123].