Teacher with 20+ years science teaching experience

Teacher with 3 years science teaching experience

Teacher with 1 year science teaching experience

1. Briefly describe the expectations, goals and concerns you had about using BioLogica in science instruction prior to your experience with it.

Apprehensive b/c "the students had seen these topics back in the fall. I was curious to see what was remembered."

"I was concerned that students wouldn't be as serious about learning genetics because of the gap in instruction and computer use. However, I was hoping that students would derive some benefit."

"My concern was that students would not have had enough background in genetics and may experience frustration."

2. Briefly describe your experience using BioLogica in science instruction.

"I think it would be highly effective if used in sequence after teaching classes on each topic to reinforce what they learned as a review tool."

"Because of the way our computer use was structured, BioLogica experiences occurred on a daily basis - a week after formal instruction. Therefore, students were not as productive as I would�ve liked."

"Overall it was a good experience. The students were engaged throughout the sessions However there were quite a few bugs in the program which interrupted the flow. It was somewhat frustrating."

3. What was the most salient aspect (positive or negative) of the BioLogica experience for you?

"I would like to use BioLogica either to introduce or at the end of a teaching session."

"Many of the concepts covered in class were also covered in BioLogica. The factual material is very helpful and serves as a quick review so that students can benefit from the BioLogica activities."

"Positive: great hands-on experience where the students could visualize the passing of traits as well as manipulate the alleles.
Negative: �bugs� in the system."

4.What do you think your students learned using this program? Why? Is there anything you think students didn�t learn? Why?

"I think the majority of students were able to see what they didn�t know about the subject."

"From my observations, I think many students were too interested in playing with the dragons rather than learning concepts. This is an issue I have been working with all year."

"Learned: the general process of heredity.

Didn�t learn: basic vocabulary - homozygous, heterozygous, allele, dominant, recessive."

5. BioLogica does not, and was never intended to, replace quality instruction by teachers. In addition to BioLogica materials, what do you feel is necessary for students to learn genetics well?

Books, models in class, review, tests. "BioLogica would help clarify and be used in addition to above materials."

• Classroom instruction/preparation.
• Homework assignments
• worksheets to help students learn/understand as well as check understanding
• classroom (hands-on) activities"

"a good solid understanding of terminology and experience with Punnett Squares as well as meiosis and sex-linked traits."

6. What recommendations would you like to make concerning program improvements or modifications to the BioLogica instructional materials?

Some questions in pre-test were confusing. Pre-test and post test should match.

"I wouldn�t change a thing except for the bugs."

"Less bugs in the system."

7. Would you use BioLogica again? If so, how? If not, why not?

"Yes I would use it as an instructional tool to bolster the students� book/class work."

"Yes I would use BioLogica again if I am teaching genetics. I would use it in conjunction with lessons so that students can benefit through reinforcement of concepts taught in class."

"Absolutely I would use BioLogica again. I would use it in conjunction with lessons in the classroom. That would be the ideal curriculum."

8. Would you recommend this program to your colleagues? Why or why not?

"yes, I would. Its presence would be best if coordinated with classroom activity on genetics."

"Yes. The program is well-written. Students like the fact that it�s like a game. They like playing with the dragons. The invisible dragon is especially fun because they can win/lose based on their answers."

"Yes. It is a great hands-on educational tool for the students where they can visualize and manipulate the parents & offspring."

9. Is there anything else you would like us to know?

"It was fun to see the students manipulate the genes to create new offspring - creative!"

"I like the fact that students cannot check answers prior to solving the problem(s)."

"the post-test was too long! The students lost interest. I had to administer it in 2 sessions for the best results."