Challenges and Rewards. I enjoy the challenges and rewards that teaching offers me and feel that I have grown considerably from it. As a biologist, I get to teach students about life and I enjoy helping them begin to see life from new perspectives. I find life both fascinating and challenging and do my best to expose students to those qualities of life through my courses. I am intrigued by the changing face of education and look forward to the challenge of preparing my courses and students for the Twenty First Century.
Getting Their Attention. In introductory courses I show a video that gets attention: how chemicals can disrupt development and lead to feminization of alligators, fish and baby boys. The discovery that little boys can be born with the private parts of a girl is an eye opener for most students. It is an effective way to illustrate that we need know something about the chemical basis of life, that it’s important to pay attention to what’s happening with wildlife and that science requires a lot of detective work.
Setting Expectations and Providing Guidance. In my lower division courses I provide more guidance to help students focus. I expect students to read the book, and list the reading assignments in the topic outlines. Class activities during the first week address study skills and my expectations. The first homework assignment might be to prepare written answers to several questions. Small groups collaborate during class to compare answers. Then I introduce a strategy for developing the kind of answers I expect by guiding students through a process that addresses each concept as a system. First we identify the key components in that system, then we analyze how the system works, and finally we examine what happens if various components of the system are disturbed. I stress the need to understand the system and to communicate test answers clearly and completely using outlines & diagrams.
I make assignments that are require students to follow specific instructions. I stick to deadlines. Class begins on time and continues to the end of the period. Quizzes and exams begin on the hour and students who arrive late have less time to answer questions. Assignments are late if not turned in on time. I am flexible with emergencies and students who schedule makeup work in advance, but adhere strictly to policies clearly delineated in my syllabi. Since I do not commit class time to review for exams I provide review sessions outside class. Students must commit time for review. My courses are designed to build on previous knowledge, so some review is somewhat built in. I expect college level work and do not allow “extra credit” [as explained in my syllabi].
Some complain that I want answers word for word the way I present the material. My response is, “Well, yes and no. There are vocabulary words and biological terms that you simply must know and use. So, yes, you must provide these word-for-word. However, if you can explain concepts in your own words I will give full credit [providing you use appropriate terms].” Some complain that I grade too hard, that I should “be more friendly” with grades. My response is that I expect excellence for an A, not mediocrity.
Like Learning Greek. I liken the course to a foreign language course: Greek and Latin. Students must learn vocabulary [facts] and grammatical rules [concepts], but the goal is to be able to communicate: to write stories or poetry [synthesize]. In biology we also must learn facts, concepts and be able to synthesize them as well. Therefore, I ask all three kinds of questions in my tests [factoid, concept, synthesis]. It is very important to be able to communicate the answer as well, so I ask essay questions and expect correct spelling and clearly organized/ articulated answers [outline format is fine]. Writing across the curriculum comes home at this point. I emphasize the use of diagrams as aids to remember since a well-labeled diagram can contain most of the answer. I also use analogies of becoming successful in football, music and other disciplines. Star perfomances require devotion to practice and some sweat. We reflect on the need to exercise a broken leg after the cast is removed because the muscles will atrophy without use. Similarly, restoring brain activity after a stroke requires time and effort for the brain to develop new neural networks to regain lost functions. The key to success in class is to exercise the brain and practice imroving how to learn. Students should expect to sweat a little during the semester if they intend to make the A team.
Diversity in Student Abilities. Classes may have students with a wide range of capabilities: from underprepared to very well prepared and capable. While I spend considerable time making sure the slowest students understand, I keep the class moving at a reasonable pace. Students who are having difficulty are asked to seek help outside class: during my office hours, during regularly scheduled review sessions, or from tutors.
Overcoming Perceptual Difficulties. To assist students in overcoming barriers [“I can’t do chemistry”], I introduce ground-figure reversal illustrations to illustrate how the same thing can be perceived different ways. We laugh at simple figures then I move into more complex illustrations, particularly an old woman/ young lady. Some students have a very difficult time seeing one or the other. After we have had fun with several examples, I explain that many will have similar difficulties seeing some biological concepts I will present [often chemistry related] and that I am here to assist them in seeing life from new perspectives. Then, throughout the course, when I present a challenging concept that can be interpreted in different ways I ask, “Can you see the old woman and the young lady?” I have found this to be very effective.
Teaching Survival Skills. I teach for understanding and make that clear to from the very beginning of the course. It is not possible to memorize your way through the course [even though there is plenty of memorization to do]. In order to get an A, vocabulary and concepts must be mastered, and ability to synthesize must be demonstrated. Levels of expectation for grades are in my syllabus. Students who tend to be literal in their thinking, find they have trouble seeing the nuances and distinctions I make.
We examine how science works and why there are no absolute truths in science. We find that scientific facts are actually stories we have made up by interpreting data we have collected and drawing logical conclusions from the evidence. Therefore, when we find new evidence we make up a new story and the facts change. This is a difficult concept for students who think their are YES/ NO answers. I recall the frustrated student who demands, “Dr. Gordon, just tell me the answer so I can pass the test.” Well, let’s examine the cause of global warming. The same data is interpreted two ways by different groups: 1] humans are causing it, 2] humans aren’t causing it, it is a natural cycle. Two camps of advocates with learned degrees argue opposing views: THIS view and THAT view. But Dr. Gordon, what is THE ANSWER? Well, in this class the answer is: “some people say THIS and here is why they say this, and some say THAT, and here is why they say that”.
Now is the appropriate time to ask, “Now, can you see the old woman and the young lady?”
Providing A Liberal Arts Education. The University’s mission is to be a liberal arts college and I believe in that. A liberal arts education includes considerable intellectualizing, abstracting, looking at things from different perspectives, and developing the ability to make logical decisions based on adequate background information. I believe that students need to be exposed to the notion that the world is complex and that very often there is not a simple answer. My job is to help them develop the background information, understanding of concepts and the ability to think critically so they will be able to survive in a rapidly changing world. I tell them “Dr. Gordon is not going to follow you around and answer your science questions for you the rest of your life. You must develop the skills to do it for yourself”. It is also important to be able to communicate answers clearly and completely, using appropriate vocabulary.
My approach is as interdisciplinary as possible. Most of my classes emphasize the linkages among biological phenomena and human history and examine how different world views held by different cultural groups can and have contributed to scientific endeavors and changed how we think about life. I place things in historical contexts as often as possible, and emphasize how biological events have influenced history. To me these aspects are some of the most fascinating components of my courses.
Pedagogy. My courses are designed to revisit important topics several times from different perspectives, and I now begin with “There are several themes that run through this course.” I write them on the board and incorporate them into the first quiz. In this way new material reviews, builds on, and reinforces what we have previously learned. I start slowly and gradually build up speed as the semester progresses. At the beginning of the semester I introduce study skills exercises designed to improve survival in my course.
Accessibility. In addition to scheduled office
hours, I have an open door policy. I am available to advise or assist
students that drop by at any time, providing I do not have a previous commitment.
I hold regularly scheduled review sessions and special review sessions
before exams as needed during the week and occasionally at night or on
week ends.