Using Web-Based Key Character and Classification Instruction for Teaching Undergraduate Students Insect Identification

Authors

Douglas A. Golick, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Tiffany M. Heng-Moss, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Allen L. Steckelberg, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
David W. Brooks, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Leon G. Higley, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
David Fowler, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2012

Citation

Journal of Science Education and Technology (2012) 22: 509-521. DOI: 10.1007/s10956-012-9410-z.

Comments

Copyright 2013, Springer. Used by permission.

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine whether undergraduate students receiving web-based instruction based on traditional, key character, or classification instruction differed in their performance of insect identification tasks. All groups showed a significant improvement in insect identifications on pre- and post-two-dimensional picture specimen quizzes. The study also determined student performance on insect identification tasks was not as good as for family-level identification as compared to broader insect orders and arthropod classification identification tasks. Finally, students erred significantly more by misidentification than misspelling specimen names on prepared specimen quizzes. Results of this study support that short web-based insect identification exercises can improve insect identification performance. Also included is a discussion of how these results can be used in teaching and future research on biological identification.