ERIC Number: EJ1304792
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021-May
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1539-2422
EISSN: N/A
The Zoom Map: A New Graphic Organizer to Guide Students' Explanations across the Levels of Biological Organization
Schneeweiss, Niklas; Gropengiesser, Harald
Bioscene: Journal of College Biology Teaching, v47 n1 p3-13 May 2021
Employing scientific reasoning when giving biological explanations comes easily to the experienced scientist. However, students often encounter difficulty when they attempt to explain biological phenomena. One significant obstacle appears to be the failure or inability to bear in mind the levels of organization. To address this issue, learning strategies, such as the yo-yo learning and teaching strategy, recommend moving across the levels of organization and making those levels explicit in the explanation. To support yo-yo learning, we developed a new graphic organizer, the zoom map. The zoom map combines the levels of organization with concept maps. It is specifically tailored to guide students in biology on ways to distinguish, interrelate and reflect the levels of organization. In this paper, we introduce the zoom map as a tool for instruction and diagnosis. We also provide evidence from teaching experiments that demonstrate how the zoom map benefited learning.
Descriptors: Instructional Materials, Science Instruction, Biology, Teaching Methods, Thinking Skills, Barriers, Learning Strategies, Learning Processes, Concept Mapping, Educational Benefits, Verbal Communication, Connected Discourse, Student Attitudes, Visual Aids, High School Students
Association of College and Biology Educators. Web site: http://acube.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A