Hopscotch Interactive Inc.

The Evolution of Cooperation
(University of Toronto)

This Web tutorial uses a favourite puzzle called the Prisoner's Dilemma game to teach 1,500 first-year science students at the University of Toronto about cooperative behaviour in nature. Each student starts by playing games against the computer. Each game is debriefed and their result is instantly incorporated in a summary graph so they can see how they did relative to the rest of the class. Once they have learned the basics of the game, they use a simulation model to conduct experiments on the evolution of cooperative strategies. Interactive quiz questions allow students to track their understanding as they work through the tutorial. Feedback from the students -- a notoriously tough crowd because most of them are pre-med candidates who are focussed on human biology -- demonstrates how effective this module has been.
Visit the site: www.cquest.utoronto.ca/zoo/bio150y/pdgame/

Student Feedback

I just completed the on-line tutorial. I must say that it was very well prepared, and it was fun, as well as a good review. It helped reinforce what we had already learned in our labs, and was very helpful. If possible, this kind of tutorial should be on-line more often... Thanks a lot!

I enjoyed reading it. It really made it look much easier. I would like to congratulate you on a fine website and entertaining tutorial! I missed last cycle's lab due to illness, and needed to get myself caught up on the exercise. I found it both fun and informative. Have a nice day :)

I really enjoyed the tutorial. I believe it has helped me to assimilate the idea at a higher degree. I would love it if the Biology Dept. were to have such tutorials for some of the lectures that have been presented. I believe that they would aid extremely well in the understanding of the material. Keep up the good work.

I thought it was excellent! It was quick, interesting and colourful. ...I thoroughly enjoyed the information, pictures, quizzes and playing against the computer. You should have more computer interactions in BIO150Y.

I really enjoyed it and it helped to reinforce the material, such as how to build a payoff matrix. The quizzes also introduced me to the type of format of questions I might find on the test. Thanks, I'll tell me friends to try it.

Hello, I really enjoyed the lab exercise by doing it on the computer. It will be really cool if every chapter of every course is this fun. Well done, and thank you.