| As outlined in Vision & Change, developmental biology is one of the components that could be used to provide evidence for evolution. Teaching evolutionary-developmental biology (evo-devo) allows educators to use an interdisciplinary approach to help students connect concepts of the Modern Synthesis and developmental biology and better understand mechanisms of evolutionary change. Evaluating effective means of teaching evo-devo concepts requires the use of diagnostic tools to assess how student conceptual understanding changes post-instruction; however, no such tool exists. The following dissertation outlines the development of the EvoDevoCI, a concept inventory for gauging student understanding of evolutionary developmental biology. Concept inventories are tools which effectively gauge student understanding through the use of multiple-choice questions and responses rooted in associated conceptual difficulties students possess about particular concepts. Through the use of Q-methodology and surveys, major evo-devo concepts were identified for inclusion in the concept inventory. During the process of question development and conceptual difficulty identification, we find undergraduate biology majors, from freshmen to seniors, lack knowledge of basic developmental processes and tend to rely heavily on natural selection to explain all evolutionary phenomena. The final EvoDevoCI is a valid and reliable tool that can be used to provide insight into how we may best approach a pedagogical framework that targets the confrontation and prevention of conceptual difficulties. Lastly, the instrument is discusses as a means to assess hypothetical learning progressions for life-science degree programs and evaluating approaches to preparing students and instructors for integrated teaching and learning of sophisticated biological constructs. |
