Coursera is offering a free university class online for educators on how to teach evolution. I am currently taking this class.

It started earlier this week but you generally have time to catch up.

here is the link

Evolution: A Course for Educators

Just curious, why are you taking that course?

This class is a bit more technical than my previous classes on evolution and genetics. I don't recall dealing with cladistics and tree diagrams. I think it is important to learn about what is being said about them. I do not expect to pass the class due to this requirement:

You are also required to submit a short paper (700 words) that describes how you would use a topic from the course as empirical evidence that supports common ancestry and biological evolution. Lastly, you are required to review three of your peers’ papers on this topic.

Your grade in this course will be based on the following:

•Four weekly quizzes will count equally toward 70% of your grade.
•One peer-reviewed written assignment will count toward 30% of your grade. (You will be penalized 20% of your grade should you fail to evaluate three of your peers assignments.)"

If the paper is about what is commonly called Micro-evolution, I can write that, but if it is to address the emergence of new 'species' from a common ancestor, I would be unable to complete that assignment.

Additionally, it is important to stay fresh on material. In fact, that is a requirement for membership in The Group.

I posted the link because I appreciate the members of BookTalk.org and thought some of you might be interested in taking the class.

I thought the first week's material on WHAT IS A SPECIES was interesting. It raised a WHICH CAME FIRST QUESTION. How does one guard against defining species in a way which proves evolution rather than based on empiricism? Is that even possible?

I didn't see much in the way of proof for evolution in the material.

Really good catch. Thanks.

I've signed up as well.

If the paper is about what is commonly called Micro-evolution, I can write that, but if it is to address the emergence of new 'species' from a common ancestor, I would be unable to complete that assignment.

I think you should try anyway, and pursue your worldview even if it means a failing grade. Dig deep and try to discover the 'barrier' or 'parameter' that prevents microevolution from being equivalent to macroevolution over long time periods. Is there some seed within DNA that only allows mutations to a certain extent? Some core code that each species cannot deviate away from? I've seen it coined as a "margin of change", but without explanation as to how the margin is maintained. I'd like to see something other than an argument from ignorance - "we haven't seen macroevolution happen".

I'm not giving up by any means. So far I have what I think is an 80 on my first quiz. I got 8 of 10 correct but I am not sure that each question is 10 points. I think the cladistic tree diagrams might he worth more - I got them right.