Codon Learning Content Releases

This article describes recently added content to Codon Learning

2026 Content Releases

May 2026

Introducing the Life Sciences - Cell Structure/Function topic

• We added lots of new images! We now have much better visual support for students.
  
• We updated existing images, text, and questions for improved accessibility.
• We made updates to the text and questions to make the content more modular for people who want to teach cells before biomolecules (ex: removed and replaced questions that relied on detailed biomolecule knowledge like protein quaternary structure, alpha vs beta-glyocosidic linkages).
• We updated some of the questions to better focus students on key takeaways and not rely on external knowledge.
• We renamed the RRs to more clearly communicate what each one focuses on:
  • The Life of a Cell 1 → Intro to Cells: Bacteria, Eukarya, and Archaea
  • The Life of a Cell 2 → Exploring Eukaryotic Cells
  • The Life of a Cell 3 → The Endomembrane Express
    
    

Introducing the Life Sciences - Photosynthesis topic

• We added a lot of images! Much more visual support for students.
  
• We updated the text and some of the questions for improved accessibility.
• We updated the built-in questions to better focus students on the key take-home messages.

Introducing the Life Sciences - Cell Structure/Function topic

• We retired ILS-LO-3.3.5: Propose hypotheses to explain 1) the adaptive significance of organelles (the advantages and disadvantages of having membrane- bound structures inside cells), and 2) why organelles are more common in eukaryotes than bacteria and archaea.
• If you are already using this LO, no sweat! It will stay in your courses. It just now lives in the “Retired LOs” topic.

April 2026 

Introducing the Life Sciences - added Invertebrate Animal Diversity topic

We’ve had many requests to open this can of worms! The new invertebrate animal diversity topic examines the characteristics of relationships between the major lineages of invertebrate animals. Scott Freeman authored a new Readiness Reading loaded with fun images. The Readiness Reading is accompanied by nineteen new post-class assessments and three new in-class activities. To help students connect diversity to other topics, two of the in-class activities focus on the evolution of key characteristics. 

Introducing the Life Sciences - added Vertebrate Animal Diversity topic

Along with invertebrates, Scott also authored a Readiness Reading for vertebrate animal diversity, examining characteristics of and relationships between the vertebrates. This new topic also includes 25 post-class assessment and two in-class activities, one of which helps students connect ecology and conservation to traits of specific vertebrate groups. 

March 2026

Introducing the Life Sciences - added Virus Diversity assessments

We’ve also added six new post-class assessments to viruses! These multiple-choice assessments focus on the Learning Objective "Explain why viruses are considered obligate intracellular parasites, and why viral diseases are difficult to treat with drugs."