Table 2.
Learning goals, corresponding questions on the IMCA, and the most common incorrect student ideas relating to each
| Learning goal | Questiona | Incorrect student ideas or confusionb |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Outline the theory of evolution, citing evidence that supports it and properties of organisms that it explains. | 1 | Mutations are directed, not random. |
| 2. Contrast the features that distinguish viruses, bacteria, and eukaryotic cells. | 2, 3 | Bacteria can have RNA as genetic material, but viruses have only DNA. |
| 3. Recognize structures of the four major classes of building-block molecules (monomers) that make up cellular macromolecules and membranes. | 4–8 | Students struggle to distinguish between the molecular structures of phospholipids and fatty acids and between monosaccharides, amino acids, and nucleotides. |
| 4. Compare how the properties of water affect the three-dimensional structures and stabilities of macromolecules, macromolecular assemblies, and lipid membranes. | 9, 10 | Students do not understand the properties of polar molecules. |
| 5. Given the thermodynamic and kinetic characteristics of a biochemical reaction, predict whether it will proceed spontaneously and the rate at which it will proceed. | 11–14 | Enzymes act by changing the equilibria of chemical reactions rather than by increasing their rates. |
| 6. From their structures, predict which solutes will be able to diffuse spontaneously through a pure phospholipid bilayer membrane and which will require transport by membrane-associated proteins. | 15 | Ions, because of their small size, can diffuse through membranes. |
| 7. Outline the flow of matter and energy in the processes by which organisms fuel growth and cellular activities, and explain how these processes conform to the laws of thermodynamics. | 16–18 | Oxygen is used in the formation of CO2 during cellular respiration. |
| 8. Using diagrams, demonstrate how the information in a gene is stored, replicated, and transmitted to daughter cells. | 19–21 | Individual chromosomes can contain genetic material from both parents. |
| 9. Describe how the information in a gene directs expression of a specific protein. | 22–24 | Promoter regions are part of the coding region of a gene. |
a The learning goals associated with each question are those intended by the authors and supported by biology faculty expert responses (see Table 3).
b Ideas listed are representative of the most commonly chosen wrong answers on the pretest (n > 700 students), as well as from answers students gave during the interview process.