A Project-Based Approach to Teaching Complex Population Genetics to Undergraduates

In today's cramped undergraduate biology curriculum, adequate coverage of population genetics is difficult. Yet, this field is becoming increasingly important in areas as diverse as anthropology and medical genetics. Educators also face the challenge of teaching students to develop and test hypotheses, and to understand stochastic processes. I describe an approach to teaching population genetics that allows students to gain an appreciation for the breadth of the field, while also developing and testing specific hypotheses. The keys to the approach are a computer simulation (available by download), group exercises, and individual projects followed by class presentations.