Undergraduate Student (Mis)understandings of Mutations

• Published in: The FASEB journal Vol. 33; no. S1; p. 454.18
• Main Authors: Seipelt‐Thiemann, Rebecca, Reid, Joshua, Grimes, Zachary, Wasendorf, Chloe, Couch, Brock, James, Olena, Peters, Nick, Boury, Nancy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology 01-04-2019
• ISSN: 0892-6638; 1530-6860
• DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.2019.33.1_supplement.454.18

Genetics is known to have difficult concepts to learn and understand due to its use of complex, nuanced, and technical vocabulary, as well as the nature of many concepts, the requirement to think across multiple scales, particularly the symbolic scale, and the pace of change to the field. The concept of mutation and its effects are particularly important due to the foundational level they play in many critical areas of modern biology including evolution, central dogma, genotype‐phenotype connections, genomic identity, and personalized medicine. This project aimed to gain a thorough perspective of student understanding and alternative concepts they hold regarding mutations. Student response data were gathered using open‐ended questions focused on three distinct learning objectives. The student should be able to: 1) define mutation, 2) categorize changes to DNA and predict the outcome of these changes on a protein produced from the altered DNA using the genetic code, 3) differentiate between somatic and germline mutations and predict the inheritance patterns of each type of mutation, 4) predict the nature of changes to DNA exposed to intercalating agents, base analogs, and radiation (ionizing and non‐ionizing). More than 400 student responses to seventeen questions were analyzed qualitatively. Student responses showed that students have major issues understanding: 1) the difference between a mutation and any change in RNA, protein, or function, 2) central dogma terminology and how genetic information “flows” within it, 3) the relationships of somatic and germline mutations to heritability, and 4) how mutagens cause mutations. It is hoped that knowing which alternative conceptions students commonly hold will aid faculty in designing instruction that enables students to form a more accurate conceptual framework regarding mutation.
Support or Funding Information
National Science Foundation Grant 1710262 to RLST and NMB
This is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this published in The FASEB Journal.