Although some science educators advocate de-emphasizing life cycles, if used effectively they can integrate genetic continuity, development, form and function into a cohesive view of an organism. Life cycles also demonstrate the similarities and differences between organisms. Students often have difficulty learning life cycles and resort to memorization rather than deep understanding of the process. When students were given more time to “think-through” the sequence of life stages, comprehension increased. This study examined the combined effectiveness of four different strategies in helping students understand life cycles of plants. Twenty junior and senior biology students were randomly assigned to one of four collaborative groups. All students had similar backgrounds of earlier biology courses. The first group was given a packet of cards with diagrams of various stages in the moss life cycle. Their task was to put the diagrams in correct order. The second group was given a similar set of cards with only the terms for the structures and asked to put them in correct order. The third group was given a video animation of the moss life cycle and told to identify all relevant stages and produce a diagram of the process. The final group was asked to produce the life cycle of a moss entirely from the collective memory of members in the group. After completion, each group explained their life cycle to the rest of the groups. Exposing students to all four strategies significantly increased their understanding of life cycles when results of pre-tests were compared to post-tests. Several major misconceptions were identified and corrected by the students themselves. The active, collaborative approach was more effective than traditional lecture.

Key words: botanical education, collaborative learning, complex sequential processes, plant life cycles