Table 3 Possible example of a synthetic, hierarchical tree-reading skill model
From: Understanding the tree of life: an overview of tree-reading skill frameworks
Skill level | Skill description |
|---|---|
0. Naïve handling | Students do not interpret the tree correctly. Uninformative features are over-interpreted and critical misconceptions are applied |
1. Identifying structures | Students are able to identify and interpret the elements of the diagram (nodes, branches, labels, direction of time, etc.) and can answer questions about the structure of the tree |
2. Handling apomorphies | Students are able to answer questions about the meaning and implications of apomorphies. Taxa can be grouped according to occurring apomorphies |
3. Identifying relationships | Students are able to state whether groups form clades and can evaluate the relative relatedness of a set of taxa. This includes simple and complex statements about the relationship of three taxa and about taxa and their MRCA |
4. Comparing trees | Students are able to reason about relationships when different trees (like rotations or subtrees) are presented |
5. Arguing and inferring | Students are able to use the depicted information in order to form conclusions and predictions that go beyond the presented information |