Material Detail

The Virtual Genetics Lab (VGL) is a simulation of transmission genetics that approximates, as closely as possible, the hypothesis-testing environment of genetics research.  In this lab, students cross hypothetical creatures and examine the progeny in order to determine the mechanism of inheritance of a particular trait.  As in actual research, it is not possible to 'see the answer' - the student must decide for herself when she has collected enough data to be sure of her model.  The goal is to have students understand the logic of genetic analysis - how one can use crosses to determine how a trait is inherited and reinforce their understanding of transmission genetics.

When a student starts a problem in VGL, the software generates the underlying genetic model based on constraints contained in a particular problem file; VGL then creates a field population of organisms with random genotypes. The student can then cross any two organisms and VGL generates the resulting offspring. The offspring from these crosses can be crossed with any other organisms in the problem. Students must design crosses and analyze the results in order to determine the mode of inheritance of the trait(s) in their problem. Since each problem is generated as the program starts, each problem is unique. Students can also save their work in progress for further crosses at a later time and they can export their data to a word processing program.

By choosing from the different problem files, the instructor can tailor the problems to the students’ level of genetic understanding. Because of the wide range of possible problems, this software can be used at many grade levels. For example, students in middle school could have problems limited to one trait, simple dominance, and autosomal only. Intermediate level students could have problems with more complex allelic interactions and sex-linkage. Finally, advanced-level students could work out three-point cross problems involving linkage and recombination. In addition, each level of problems has a practice mode where students can view the genetic model and the genotypes of all the organisms; this is useful when first working with a set of models.

The web site also includes sample lab manuals for beginning and intermediate-level exercises.

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