Missed connections: Using concept models to promote deep learning in biology

Students often learn biology by brute force – memorizing and regurgitating pieces of information that are promptly forgotten when the final exam is turned in. Argh! How can instructors break the cycle of knowledge as disposable? Conceptual models (or box-and-arrow models) are one instructional tool that may help students build deep and enduring connections between biological ideas. Join us for a practical discussion of conceptual models: what they are, how and why to use them, and what they reveal about student understanding. We can’t promise concept models will change your life, but they can definitely change your instruction!