Beyond Disciplinary-Based Scope & Sequence: Taking Student Cognition into Account

The following is a comment on a recent editorial on reforming genetics education by Michael Dougherty (2010). Dougherty properly pointed out some of the challenges of teaching genetics and the conceptual obstacles students face in this domain. We agree that students harbor many misconceptions about genetics and tend to think deterministically about genetic phenomena. Given that most genetic phenomena are complex, involve multiple genes, and are influenced by environmental factors, students' understanding of genetics is often inadequate. We also agree that the current scope and sequence of the genetics curriculum has failed to deepen students' understanding. However, Dougherty's suggestion to invert the genetics curriculum, such that students first learn about continuous or complex traits and then …