Is it possible to break through the cloud of early education about creationism and teach college students evolutionary biology?
Or are we as teachers doomed to continuously address the question: “How do you know it evolved, were you there?”
An interesting piece by Vanessa Wamsley a writer for Slate and former unprepared creationist student, talks about what we know about evolution education, and the impact of early religious education on a students ability to learn in the future.
The Phillip Medhurst Picture Torah 14. Temptation of Adam and Eve. Genesis cap 3 v 6. Moine. Slightly Modified…
Yes, it is possible! Case in point: me. I wish I knew exactly what it was that convinced me, but just broadly it was a combination of lecture, reading papers and books, talking with my prof, and starting actual science research (lab work) — all of the above leading to a change in worldview to evidence-based thinking. In other words, I guarantee just throwing a bunch of evidence at me in a lecture would not by itself have done any good.
This is fascinating to think about, and I think about it a lot so I can try to find effective ways of reaching my own students in the future. One benefit of coming from that world is that I have a much greater understanding of how they think and reason things in their minds.