Module in Basics of Genetics

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It has been my plan of coming out with a module in biology to make instruction less textual and learner friendly. But my primary problem revolved around the organization of topics. How can I avoid overlaps? How can I set the boundaries, the depth of the content and the level of approach to learners? I hate to admit this, but most of our high school graduates here in the province have shallow grasp of the basic biological concepts.

So I researched about the best way of organizing the topics. Good, my friend, Owen Thaddeus Ayuste of PNU-Taft gave me a copy of Mader's Essential Study Partner. I have been using the CD everytime I get confused with some topics in biology. Then, I discovered that the organization of topics in the CD is easy to follow. It was visual (most of the learning styles of my students are VISUAL). So, I bought different textbooks in biology as references and began simplifying the topics by dividing them into lessons. My purpose is to come up with a module that is visual, learner friendly, easy to understand presentation of concepts without sacrificing the subject's content. I have also included quizzers that measure students' higher order thinking skills (HOTS).

I have already done two. The first module is the Basics of Cell Biology which is composed of six lessons. However that module was given to students in the form of lessons, that's why I did not have a compiled version of it. Although the students found the HOTS items difficult, thereby getting low scores, I observed that their critical and analytical skills improved everytime I asked them to justify their answers. This to me is very rewarding.

Weeks prior to our lessons in Genetics, I was able to pool all together the lessons and compiled them as one module: Basics of Genetics. I am giving my students the freedom to photocopy it (since it is still being trial tested) but there are some who ordered the bounded one. It is exciting because I am selling it at P50 each (27 pages texts + 6 pages quizzes + colored paper covers (the front is computer printed) and of course a duct tape). It was very simple but very useful.

Most of the errors found in the module are typographical. There are no conceptual errors except for some incomplete information. So now I know that even if we have all the desire to write something, as long as our framework and outline are undefined and vague, then its really very difficult to jump start. Thanks Sylvia Mader.

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