Robert T. Pennock & Amy Lark
This assignment supports an open-ended major project. Students propose an evolutionary hypothesis that can be tested with Avida-ED, design and conduct an experiment, analyze their data, and write up a research report.
Recommended use
Use this after students have already completed guided work with the interface and with evidence-based comparison across runs.
Teaching emphasis
- question formation
- experimental design
- data interpretation
- scientific writing or presentation
What students do
- define a testable evolutionary question
- choose variables and controls for an experiment
- analyze results from repeated runs
- present a written or oral evidence-based conclusion