Table 1 Learning objectives for the Avida-ED activity were designed in the context of one of our broader course learning goals

Broader evolution learning goal

By the end of this course, students should be able to use principles of genetics to model and explain

 1. the origin of variation in populations and

 2. the mechanism of evolution by natural selection

Avida-ED activity learning objectives

 1. Use Avida-ED as a model of evolution by natural selection, to observe experimentally:

 a. that genetic mutations occur randomly and independently of environmental conditions^a

 b. that an individual's fitness is not an absolute characteristic, but depends on its environment^a

 2. Apply the principles of random genetic mutation, phenotypic variation, heredity, and fitness to explain how Avidian populations change over time