Interpreting and understanding phylogenetic trees is the core of evolution and thus key to make sense of biology. This necessitates that educators teach biology students how to interpret such graphical representations, coined tree-thinking, when they introduce the concept of evolution. Teachers often use cladograms for this, a relative simple type of phylogenetic tree. Still, students at all levels encounter significant difficulties in mastering tree-thinking.
My conjecture is that tree-thinking of students can be effectively shaped by underlying structures that promote play. My first study explores this by:
- Creating a practical and research-based intervention according to game-based learning principles to shape tree-thinking through play.
- Advancing theoretical understanding of how play can be leveraged to shape tree-thinking in the classroom.
The meeting will reflect both aims. In the first part, we will play a few rounds of the game Parsimony and briefly discuss the game design and its connection to tree-thinking. In the second part, I will present how the intentions (embedded in the game design) and the learning outcomes were mapped, along with preliminary findings.
