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Dr Momna Hejmadi,
Laurence Hurst (Educator),
Leslie Turner,
Matthew Wills,
Daniel F,
and
E Feil
Most FutureLearn courses run multiple times. Every run of a course has a set start date but you can join it and work through it after it starts. Find out more The course is aimed at primary and secondary school teachers, students, parents, and anyone interested in understanding evolution. You can use the hashtag #FLevolution to talk about this course on social media.
Topics Covered
- Inheritance and Variation
- Natural Selection and Adaptation
- Speciation
- Macroevolution
- Geological time
- Human evolution
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Reviews summary
Clear, accessible evolution for educators & beginners
According to learners, this course provides incredibly clear explanations of evolution, making complex topics like natural selection and human evolution highly accessible. It's particularly valued by educators for its invaluable pedagogical strategies and classroom application. Students highlight the instructor's passion, the well-structured modules, and the quizzes that solidify understanding. While it offers a comprehensive overview and is excellent for beginners, some with prior scientific backgrounds found it too superficial for advanced study, suggesting it caters best to those new to the subject or seeking teaching methods.
Instructor's enthusiasm enhances the learning experience.
"The instructor's passion truly shines through, making the learning process engaging."
"The best course on evolution I've taken... the instructor was amazing."
"I appreciated how the course covered core topics well and was very well-structured by the instructors."
Offers practical methods for teaching evolution.
"As a primary school teacher, I found the pedagogical strategies discussed invaluable for explaining evolution to young minds."
"Fantastic resource for teaching. The way they broke down inheritance and variation was perfect for classroom application."
"This course is a gem for any science educator looking to refresh their knowledge or find new teaching methods."
Complex evolutionary concepts are presented clearly.
"The explanations were incredibly clear, especially for complex topics like natural selection. Highly recommend for educators."
"This course strikes a perfect balance. It's truly accessible for general learners and offers great insights."
"The teaching approach is very clear and the examples used are excellent. I appreciate the effort put into making complex ideas digestible."
"I found the explanations easy to follow, and it really helped me understand the topic more deeply and confidently."
Some older videos have dated production quality.
"My only minor critique is that some of the earlier videos felt a bit dated in terms of production quality..."
"...the visuals were sometimes low resolution, which could be distracting."
"I found some parts a bit slow-paced, and the visual delivery could have been more dynamic."
Best suited for beginners; lacks advanced scientific detail.
"If you have a science background, you might find it a bit too superficial. I was hoping for more depth in macroevolution."
"As someone with a university-level biology degree, I felt much of it was basic review. It might be better suited for those completely new to the subject."
"The course is good for beginners, but I would not recommend it for those seeking advanced understanding in specific topics."
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Understanding and Teaching Evolution.
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Reading list
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Fascinating and informative exploration of the evolutionary history of the human body. It traces our origins back to the earliest fish and discusses the role of natural selection in shaping our evolution.
Passionate and eloquent defense of the theory of evolution. It provides a wealth of evidence for evolution and discusses the challenges that creationists face.
Explores the new field of evo devo, which studies the evolution of development. It discusses the role of natural selection in shaping the development of organisms and the implications of this research for our understanding of evolution.
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Pulitzer Prize-winning exploration of the sixth mass extinction event. It discusses the causes of the extinction and the implications for the future of life on Earth.
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Sweeping history of humankind, from our origins in Africa to the present day. It discusses the role of natural selection in shaping our evolution and the challenges that we face as a species.
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Pulitzer Prize-winning exploration of the gene. It discusses the history of genetics and the role of genes in shaping our lives.
Classic work on natural selection and is considered one of the most important books in the history of science. It provides a detailed overview of Darwin's theory of natural selection and its implications for the evolution of life on Earth.
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Classic work on evolutionary theory. It discusses the concept of the selfish gene and its implications for the evolution of life on Earth.
Classic work on evolutionary theory. It discusses the concept of the extended phenotype and its implications for the evolution of life on Earth.
Classic work on evolutionary theory. It discusses the major transitions in evolution, such as the evolution of life from non-life and the evolution of multicellular organisms.
Pulitzer Prize-winning exploration of the implications of Darwin's theory of evolution for our understanding of life.
This is the foundational text for understanding natural selection. While the language is of its time, it clearly lays out Darwin's observations and logical deductions that led to his theory. It is essential for historical context and a broad understanding, though contemporary books will provide more current scientific detail. classic and a must-read for anyone serious about the topic.
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Presents a gene-centered view of evolution, popularizing complex ideas about natural selection and altruism. It's an excellent book for deepening understanding after grasping the basics and is considered a modern classic in evolutionary biology. It's highly influential and provides a different perspective on the units of selection.
A highly influential book that critically examines concepts like group selection and argues forcefully for the gene as the primary unit of selection. is more technical and suitable for those looking to deepen their understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of natural selection. It's considered a classic in the field of evolutionary biology.
This widely used textbook for undergraduate evolutionary biology courses. It provides a comprehensive overview of evolutionary mechanisms, including natural selection, and uses real-world examples. It's an excellent resource for gaining a broad and solid understanding of the topic and is often used in academic settings.
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Another leading textbook in evolutionary biology, this book offers a thorough and up-to-date exploration of the field, with significant coverage of natural selection. It's suitable for advanced undergraduates and graduate students seeking a deep understanding and valuable reference tool.
Provides a clear and accessible overview of the evidence for evolution, including numerous examples of natural selection in action. It's an excellent choice for gaining a broad understanding and is suitable for high school and undergraduate students, as well as the general public.
Explores the field of evolutionary developmental biology (Evo Devo), showing how changes in development can lead to evolutionary innovation. It provides a contemporary perspective on how natural selection acts on developmental processes, adding depth to the topic.
This Pulitzer Prize-winning book tells the story of Peter and Rosemary Grant's long-term study of finches in the Galapagos, providing compelling empirical evidence for natural selection in action. It's an engaging read that solidifies understanding through a real-world case study.
Provides a comprehensive overview of human evolution, from our origins in Africa to the present day. It discusses the role of natural selection in shaping our evolution and the challenges that we face as a species.
For more information about how these books relate to this course, visit:
OpenCourser.com/course/n6k6xm/understanding
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Time
9 hours
Via
FutureLearn
Institution
University of Bath
Instructors
Dr Momna Hejmadi
Laurence Hurst (Educator)
Leslie Turner
Matthew Wills
Daniel F
E Feil
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