Creating a Dichotomous Key: Pattern Recognition in Plants for Introductory Biology

 

Krista Larsen & Mary Ann McLean

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2018, Volume 39

Abstract

Dichotomous keys are widely used to identify organisms. The use of a dichotomous key requires knowledge of technical terminology of the organism in question. The creator of a dichotomous key requires further skills in pattern recognition and reasoning. Pattern recognition is required to group organisms according to commonalities, yet identify unique characters in each. Reason is crucial to create a functioning key with a logical series of choices. In this workshop pairs of participants will create a dichotomous key for a group of pressed herbarium specimens. Participants will use How to Identify Plants, by H.D. Harrington, to learn terminology relative to higher vascular plants. These terms will be incorporated throughout the key. After the keys have been created, participants will test each other’s keys and modifications to the exercise will be discussed. Topics explored in this workshop include plant terminology, plant anatomy, plant diversity, pattern recognition and reasoning.

Keywords:  dichotomous key, plant terminology, pattern recognition

University of Wisconsin, Madison (2017)