VGLII at Rensselaer

[Harry Roy]

Hi everyone,

I have been using VGLII in my Introductory Biology course, which is
for both majors and non-majors at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

I use it as a vehicle for presenting the logic of genetic crosses in
mini-lectures, and I motivate the students to pay attention by letting
them know early that they will have to write simulated scientific
papers based on solving a problem with VGLII. I simply make a copy of
one of the standard problems and rename it as "Lab Project Problem."
The students download this and run it on their own laptops. That way
each student or group of students works on a slightly different
version.

The assignment usually involves first figuring out the basic
properties of two or three loci. Then, after receiving a grade on that
part, they have to report on tests of independent assortment. In
submitting their reports they need to also submit the data file, which
limits the possibility of plagiarism.

The students generally do very well with this and Brian and I have
some evidence that the students find it a useful supplement to their
instruction in genetics.