Enhancing Student Comprehension of Paternity Assignment in Molecular Primatology: A Pilot Study Using a Shiny Web Application in Kenya

IF 2 3区 生物学 Q1 ZOOLOGY
David K. Mwaura, Jordan A. Anderson, Daniel M. Kiboi, Mercy Y. Akinyi, Jenny Tung
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Abstract

Kinship is a major determinant of affiliative and mating behavior in primates. In field studies, identifying kin typically relies in part on genetic analysis, especially for discriminating paternal relationships. Such analyses assume knowledge of Mendelian inheritance, genotyping technologies, and basic statistical inference. Consequently, they can be difficult for students to grasp, particularly through traditional lecture formats. Here, we investigate whether integrating an additional active learning approach—interaction with DadApp, an application built using the R package Shiny that implements a popular paternity inference approach in an accessible graphical user interface—improves student understanding of genetic kinship analysis in molecular primatology. We do so in the context of a nontraditional learning environment in Kenya, a developing nation in which students have limited access to technology, and where the efficacy of educational Shiny apps has never been assessed. Twenty-eight (28) participants with diverse educational backgrounds attended an introductory lecture on genetics and paternity inference, completed a pre-test, interacted with DadApp via a structured set of exercises and questions, and then completed a post-test and survey about their experience and subjective understanding. Post-test scores significantly improved relative to pre-test scores (p = 3.75 × 106), indicating enhanced learning outcomes. Further, student interest and confidence in the subject matter significantly increased after the practical session with DadApp. Our results suggest that Shiny web app-based active learning approaches have potential benefits in communicating complex topics in molecular primatology, including in resource-limited settings where such methods have not yet experienced high penetrance.

Abstract Image

亲属关系是灵长类动物从属关系和交配行为的主要决定因素。在野外研究中,识别亲属关系通常部分依赖于基因分析,尤其是用于区分父系亲属关系。这种分析需要掌握孟德尔遗传、基因分型技术和基本的统计推断知识。因此,学生很难掌握这些知识,尤其是通过传统的授课形式。DadApp 是一个使用 R 软件包 Shiny 构建的应用程序,它以易于使用的图形用户界面实现了一种流行的亲子推断方法。我们是在肯尼亚的一个非传统学习环境中完成这项研究的,肯尼亚是一个发展中国家,学生接触技术的机会有限,而且从未对 Shiny 教育应用程序的功效进行过评估。二十八(28)名具有不同教育背景的参与者参加了关于遗传学和亲子推断的入门讲座,完成了前测,通过一系列结构化练习和问题与 DadApp 进行了互动,然后完成了后测,并就他们的体验和主观理解进行了调查。与前测成绩相比,后测成绩有了明显提高(p = 3.75 × 10-6),表明学习效果得到了增强。此外,在使用 DadApp 进行实践课程后,学生对该主题的兴趣和信心明显增加。我们的研究结果表明,基于 Shiny 网络应用程序的主动学习方法在分子灵长类动物学复杂课题的交流中具有潜在的益处,包括在资源有限的环境中,因为在这些环境中,此类方法尚未得到广泛应用。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
4.50
自引率
8.30%
发文量
103
审稿时长
4-8 weeks
期刊介绍: The objective of the American Journal of Primatology is to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and findings among primatologists and to convey our increasing understanding of this order of animals to specialists and interested readers alike. Primatology is an unusual science in that its practitioners work in a wide variety of departments and institutions, live in countries throughout the world, and carry out a vast range of research procedures. Whether we are anthropologists, psychologists, biologists, or medical researchers, whether we live in Japan, Kenya, Brazil, or the United States, whether we conduct naturalistic observations in the field or experiments in the lab, we are united in our goal of better understanding primates. Our studies of nonhuman primates are of interest to scientists in many other disciplines ranging from entomology to sociology.
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