Papers by Denise Pope
Animal Behaviour, Dec 1, 2008
ABSTRACT Competition between species can include signal competition in addition to competition fo... more ABSTRACT Competition between species can include signal competition in addition to competition for space and resources. Fiddler crabs (Uca spp.) are an excellent system for examining visual signal competition given their use of visual displays and burrow structures such as sand hoods. Where fiddler crab species overlap in habitat, females may face challenges as signal receivers to avoid heterospecifics and simultaneously discriminate among conspecific males. We investigated the consequences of competition between two species, U. latimanus and U. musica, which both build hoods and intermingle in the same habitat. Males of U. latimanus were larger than U. musica and had claws that were relatively shorter but potentially more powerful, suggesting that U. latimanus may be a superior competitor in direct combat. The hoods of the two species differed significantly in average size and shape, and in areas where they had heterospecific neighbours, U. musica males built hoods that were more distinct from heterospecific hoods, whereas U. latimanus built hoods that were more similar to heterospecific hoods. Wandering male U. musica were less likely to approach heterospecific than conspecific males, whereas U. latimanus were not. Wandering females of both species approached significantly more conspecific than heterospecific males, although some U. musica females entered heterospecific burrows. Uca latimanus females were significantly more attracted to conspecifics with hoods than without hoods; and although U. musica females showed the same tendency, the trend was only marginally significant. The high density of heterospecific males may reduce the ability of female U. musica to discriminate among conspecific males.
Animal Communication Networks, 2005
Page 270. 12 Waving in a crowd: fiddler crabs signal in networks DENISE S. POPE University of Cop... more Page 270. 12 Waving in a crowd: fiddler crabs signal in networks DENISE S. POPE University of Copenhagen, Denmark Introduction A communication network is formed when more than one receiver can in-tercept the signal ...
Background/Question/Methods The experimental process for testing hypotheses is the backbone of al... more Background/Question/Methods The experimental process for testing hypotheses is the backbone of all fields of science, but is something many students struggle with. All the new science standards and frameworks (NGSS, Vision and Change, etc.) strongly encourage active classrooms that help students understand and learn to do good experiments. Yet in practice, with large class sizes, it can be hard to give students hands-on experience designing their own experiments, and especially hard to give them the timely feedback they need in order to improve. SimBio has many virtual labs where students must design and carry out their own realistic experiments in rich biological simulations. In this study, we are developing new analysis methods and exploring how to put sufficient constraints on those virtual experiments to allow us to characterize student actions and provide immediate feedback on their understanding of the experimental process. We have implemented elements of constrained experimen...
Animal Behaviour, 2008
ABSTRACT Competition between species can include signal competition in addition to competition fo... more ABSTRACT Competition between species can include signal competition in addition to competition for space and resources. Fiddler crabs (Uca spp.) are an excellent system for examining visual signal competition given their use of visual displays and burrow structures such as sand hoods. Where fiddler crab species overlap in habitat, females may face challenges as signal receivers to avoid heterospecifics and simultaneously discriminate among conspecific males. We investigated the consequences of competition between two species, U. latimanus and U. musica, which both build hoods and intermingle in the same habitat. Males of U. latimanus were larger than U. musica and had claws that were relatively shorter but potentially more powerful, suggesting that U. latimanus may be a superior competitor in direct combat. The hoods of the two species differed significantly in average size and shape, and in areas where they had heterospecific neighbours, U. musica males built hoods that were more distinct from heterospecific hoods, whereas U. latimanus built hoods that were more similar to heterospecific hoods. Wandering male U. musica were less likely to approach heterospecific than conspecific males, whereas U. latimanus were not. Wandering females of both species approached significantly more conspecific than heterospecific males, although some U. musica females entered heterospecific burrows. Uca latimanus females were significantly more attracted to conspecifics with hoods than without hoods; and although U. musica females showed the same tendency, the trend was only marginally significant. The high density of heterospecific males may reduce the ability of female U. musica to discriminate among conspecific males.
Background/Question/Methods The experimental process for testing hypotheses is the backbone of al... more Background/Question/Methods The experimental process for testing hypotheses is the backbone of all fields of science, but is something many students struggle with. All the new science standards and frameworks (NGSS, Vision and Change, etc.) strongly encourage active classrooms that help students understand and learn to do good experiments. Yet in practice, with large class sizes, it can be hard to give students hands-on experience designing their own experiments, and especially hard to give them the timely feedback they need in order to improve. SimBio has many virtual labs where students must design and carry out their own realistic experiments in rich biological simulations. In this study, we are developing new analysis methods and exploring how to put sufficient constraints on those virtual experiments to allow us to characterize student actions and provide immediate feedback on their understanding of the experimental process. We have implemented elements of constrained experimen...
Acta ethologica, Jan 1, 2000
This paper is the consensus of a workshop that critically evaluated the utility and problems of v... more This paper is the consensus of a workshop that critically evaluated the utility and problems of video playbacks as stimuli in studies of visual behavior. We suggest that video playback is probably suitable for studying motion, shape, texture, size, and brightness. Studying color is problematic because video systems are specifically designed for humans. Any difference in color perception must lead to a different color sensation in most animals. Another potentially problematic limitation of video images is that they lack depth cues derived from stereopsis, accommodation, and motion parallax. Nonetheless, when used appropriately, video playback allows an unprecedented range of questions in visual communication to be addressed. It is important to note that most of the potential limitations of video playback are not unique to this technique but are relevant to all studies of visual signaling in animals.
Background: This research builds on a previous study that looked at the effectiveness of a simula... more Background: This research builds on a previous study that looked at the effectiveness of a simulation‑based module for teaching students about the process of evolution by natural selection. While the previous study showed that the module was successful in teaching how natural selection works, the research uncovered some weaknesses in the design. In this paper, we used design‑based research to investigate how design changes to the module affected not only students' understanding of the concepts but also their usage of misconceptions in the assessments. We present results from two studies. In study 1, we looked at gains in understanding on a pre and post‑assessment for students who used the revised version of the module. We also examined misconception uses in their answer selections. In study 2, we compared the performance on a summative assessment between students who used the revised version and students who used the original version of the module. We also looked at misconception uses in their answer selections. Results: In study 1, we saw a significant improvement in the pre‑post assessment for students who used the revised version. In study 2, we did not find a significant difference on the overall performance outcome between students who used the revised and those that used the original version of the module. In both studies, however, we saw a lower use of misconceptions after students used the revised module. In particular, we saw less use of the adaptive mutation misconception, the belief that mutations are adaptive responses to the environment and are biased towards advantageous mutations. This is promising because in the previous study there was no evidence of decreased use of this misconception. Conclusions: Students showed learning gains on all targeted key concepts, and reduced expression of all targeted misconceptions, which was not found previously for students using the older workbook version of the module. In particular, the revised version appears to help students overcome the adaptive mutation misconception. This article demonstrates how design‑based research can contribute to the ongoing improvement of evidence‑based instruction in undergraduate biology classrooms.
Background: Simulations can be an active and engaging way for students to learn about natural sel... more Background: Simulations can be an active and engaging way for students to learn about natural selection, and many have been developed, including both physical and virtual simulations. In this study we assessed the student experience of, and learning from, two natural selection simulations, one physical and one virtual, in a large enrollment introductory biology lab course. We assigned students to treatments (the physical or virtual simulation activity) by section and assessed their understanding of natural selection using a multiple‑choice pre‑/post‑test and short‑answer responses on a post‑lab assignment. We assessed student experience of the activities through structured observa‑ tions and an affective survey. Results: Students in both treatments showed increased understanding of natural selection after completing the simulation activity, but there were no differences between treatments in learning gains on the pre‑/post‑test, or in the prevalence of concepts and misconceptions in written answers. On a survey of self‑reported enjoyment they rated the physical activity significantly higher than the virtual activity. In classroom observations of student behavior, we found significant differences in the distribution of behaviors between treatments, including a higher frequency of off‑ task behavior during the physical activity. Conclusions: Our results suggest that both simulations are valuable active learning tools to aid students' under‑ standing of natural selection, so decisions about which simulation to use in a given class, and how to best implement it, can be motivated by contextual factors.
Background: Evolution is a difficult subject for students, with well-documented confusion about n... more Background: Evolution is a difficult subject for students, with well-documented confusion about natural selection, tree thinking, and genetic drift among other topics. Here we investigate the effect of a simulation-based module about the conservation of black-footed ferrets, a module designed with pedagogical approaches that have been demonstrated to be effective, for teaching genetic drift. We compared performance on the Genetic Drift Inventory (GeDI) of students who completed the module and students who were in classes that used other methods for teaching genetic drift. Results: Students in 19 courses using the simulation-based module improved their understanding of genetic drift significantly after completing the Ferrets module, as measured by the GeDI. Students in five control courses actually performed significantly worse on the GeDI after instruction. The lower scores in the control courses were driven by a decrease in these students' understanding of key concepts. Conclusions: The Ferrets module appears to be an effective way to teach genetic drift. In the control courses, stu-dents' progress in understanding genetic drift may pass through a stage where their understanding of key concepts is worse than it was prior to instruction. However, students who learned genetic drift in courses that used the Ferrets module showed a more rapid increase in their understanding of key concepts related to genetic drift. This result suggests that the paths that students can take to move from novice to expert understanding may be more varied than was previously predicted.
Animal Behaviour, Jan 1, 2008
ABSTRACT Competition between species can include signal competition in addition to competition fo... more ABSTRACT Competition between species can include signal competition in addition to competition for space and resources. Fiddler crabs (Uca spp.) are an excellent system for examining visual signal competition given their use of visual displays and burrow structures such as sand hoods. Where fiddler crab species overlap in habitat, females may face challenges as signal receivers to avoid heterospecifics and simultaneously discriminate among conspecific males. We investigated the consequences of competition between two species, U. latimanus and U. musica, which both build hoods and intermingle in the same habitat. Males of U. latimanus were larger than U. musica and had claws that were relatively shorter but potentially more powerful, suggesting that U. latimanus may be a superior competitor in direct combat. The hoods of the two species differed significantly in average size and shape, and in areas where they had heterospecific neighbours, U. musica males built hoods that were more distinct from heterospecific hoods, whereas U. latimanus built hoods that were more similar to heterospecific hoods. Wandering male U. musica were less likely to approach heterospecific than conspecific males, whereas U. latimanus were not. Wandering females of both species approached significantly more conspecific than heterospecific males, although some U. musica females entered heterospecific burrows. Uca latimanus females were significantly more attracted to conspecifics with hoods than without hoods; and although U. musica females showed the same tendency, the trend was only marginally significant. The high density of heterospecific males may reduce the ability of female U. musica to discriminate among conspecific males.
Animal communication networks. Cambridge …, Jan 1, 2005
Page 270. 12 Waving in a crowd: fiddler crabs signal in networks DENISE S. POPE University of Cop... more Page 270. 12 Waving in a crowd: fiddler crabs signal in networks DENISE S. POPE University of Copenhagen, Denmark Introduction A communication network is formed when more than one receiver can in-tercept the signal ...
Behaviour, Jan 1, 2000
Page 1. VIDEO PLAYBACK EXPERIMENTS TESTING THE FUNCTION OF CLAW WAVING IN THE SAND FIDDLER CRAB b... more Page 1. VIDEO PLAYBACK EXPERIMENTS TESTING THE FUNCTION OF CLAW WAVING IN THE SAND FIDDLER CRAB by DENISE S. POPE 1,2) (Department of Zoology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA) (Acc. I-VI-2000) ...
Acta ethologica, Jan 1, 2000
This paper is the consensus of a workshop that critically evaluated the utility and problems of v... more This paper is the consensus of a workshop that critically evaluated the utility and problems of video playbacks as stimuli in studies of visual behavior. We suggest that video playback is probably suitable for studying motion, shape, texture, size, and brightness. Studying color is problematic because video systems are specifically designed for humans. Any difference in color perception must lead to a different color sensation in most animals. Another potentially problematic limitation of video images is that they lack depth cues derived from stereopsis, accommodation, and motion parallax. Nonetheless, when used appropriately, video playback allows an unprecedented range of questions in visual communication to be addressed. It is important to note that most of the potential limitations of video playback are not unique to this technique but are relevant to all studies of visual signaling in animals.
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, Jan 1, 2000
Many territorial advertisement signals are thought to be dual-function signals, directed to both ... more Many territorial advertisement signals are thought to be dual-function signals, directed to both rival male and receptive female conspecifics. However, few studies have tested this assumption by examining whether in fact both sexes are likely to elicit signaling behavior from territorial males. In this study, I experimentally manipulated the social context of male sand fiddler crabs (Uca pugilator) to investigate the effect of different audiences on the performance of the claw-waving display, a territorial signal that is often presumed to be directed to both males and females. To test whether males perform this signal to both audiences, I measured the frequency of waving behavior by focal males when housed in field enclosures alone, with only males, with only females, or with both males and females. Focal males waved at a low frequency when alone, and the presence of males had no effect on their level of waving. However, in the presence of females, focal males showed a significantly higher level of waving, whether or not males were also present. In addition, there was no association between fighting and waving behavior. This experiment provides evidence that from the perspective of the signaling male, the claw-waving display of U. pugilator is not a dual-function signal but rather is primarily directed to receptive females.
Conference abstracts by Denise Pope
Background/Question/Methods The experimental process for testing hypotheses is the backbone of al... more Background/Question/Methods The experimental process for testing hypotheses is the backbone of all fields of science, but is something many students struggle with. All the new science standards and frameworks (NGSS, Vision and Change, etc.) strongly encourage active classrooms that help students understand and learn to do good experiments. Yet in practice, with large class sizes, it can be hard to give students hands-on experience designing their own experiments, and especially hard to give them the timely feedback they need in order to improve. SimBio has many virtual labs where students must design and carry out their own realistic experiments in rich biological simulations. In this study, we are developing new analysis methods and exploring how to put sufficient constraints on those virtual experiments to allow us to characterize student actions and provide immediate feedback on their understanding of the experimental process. We have implemented elements of constrained experimen...
Proposals by Denise Pope
colleges.org
The Biology Department at Trinity University is charged with the responsibility to teach both maj... more The Biology Department at Trinity University is charged with the responsibility to teach both majors and non-majors in our introductory biology course. Our goal in this current proposal is to reinvent our introductory course, along with its accompanying laboratory, to improve the education of students from all majors, and to address the concept versus content challenge facing introductory biology curricula today. Our vision is to teach both concepts and content through issue-based modules that integrate across all biological levels. In these new courses, we will teach biology as a discipline in which levels are connected and interrelated, a discipline that is valuable and relevant to our students' lives, and a discipline that is process-oriented and problem-solving. We believe that these goals, and our approach to accomplishing them, will have a positive impact on the scientific literacy of our students and their valuation of science and its contributions to society.
Dissertation by Denise Pope
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Papers by Denise Pope
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Dissertation by Denise Pope