This study examined the effectiveness of three instructional and assessment strategies on conceptual understanding of the DNA molecule. Specifically, a model building task was utilized to determine if physical model construction, digital model construction with a touchscreen tablet computer, or paper worksheet activity effected conceptual…

This work uses the concepts and tools of complexity theory to examine the effect of logical thinking and two cognitive styles, such as, the degree of field dependence/independence and the convergent/divergent thinking on students' understanding of the structure of matter. Students were categorized according to the model they adopted for the…

The "Central Dogma" of genetics states that one gene, located in a DNA molecule, is ultimately translated into one protein. As important as this idea is, many teachers shy away from teaching the actual mechanism of gene translation, and many students find the concepts abstract and inaccessible. This article describes a unit, called Genetics…