Philosophy of teaching

An essay in two parts....

What I think students should learn

In general, students should take three interrelated lessons away from their science classes. They should gain an understanding of (1) how scientific research is done, (2) what scientific research has discovered, and (3) how scientific information is communicated.

First, students need to understand and be able to apply the scientific method. They should learn to collect and review empirical data as an alternative to simply trusting the speculations of others. They should become adept at critically evaluating these data in order to reach defensible conclusions.

Second, students need to grasp the key discoveries and facts of their discipline. For example, biology majors should know how DNA is transcribed and translated into proteins, how neurons communicate with each other, and how new species arise via evolution. They should develop an appreciation of how their particular field informs and is informed by related fields. Furthermore, they should understand how "pure" science informs "applied" fields such as medicine and environmental policy.

Third, students of science need to become fluent in the language of science. They need to recognize and utilize the vocabulary and syntax of their discipline. They should learn how to convey complex theories and data to scientists and nonscientists in person and in writing.

How I facilitate student learning

I tailor my courses to my students' backgrounds. I set my expectations according to what they already know (which I assess using non-graded quizzes) and what they can be expected to learn in the time available. Then, having established these expectations, I clearly articulate them to the students. For each assignment, I explicitly state the "rules" by which the students should abide and the criteria by which their work will be judged.

I teach the material as a series of questions to be addressed rather than a series of facts to be learned. After all, which is a more engaging lecture title: “The Processes Of Transcription And Translation,” or “How Do Cells Live Up To Their Genetic Potential?”? I use a variety of approaches -- lectures, labs, discussions, student presentations, web-based activities, and educational songs -- in order to engage students who learn in different ways.

My teaching emphasizes the connection between scientific knowledge (what we know) and the scientific method (how we know what we know). I challenge students to relate their lab experiments to lecture material and vice versa; I interject descriptions of important experiments into my lectures; I discuss the current limits of scientific knowledge and explain how future experiments might push back these limits; and I directly expose students to the primary research literature though occasional reading/discussion exercises, with study guides that help them through the rough spots.

I work hard to focus students' attention on the material I consider most essential to their education. For example, my handouts do not provide exhaustive coverage of my lectures; rather, they include concise outlines and key figures that the students cannot easily draw themselves. Likewise, potentially vague assignments (e.g., "Read textbook pages 77-99") are accompanied by specific questions. My review sheets and exams emphasize "big-picture" concepts and problems, sometimes asking students to predict experimental results in the form of a graph.

My students are adults, and I treat them as such. While I am happy to teach them what I know, I also insist that they take responsibility for their education. For example, I ask confused students to articulate why they are confused, and I provide just enough information to allow them to reason their way out of their confusion. I expect them to spend an average of 10-15 hours per week on my course. (To increase the workload beyond that would unfairly presume that my course is more important than the others they are taking.)

I collect and grade all student work relating to important course content. I assign grades both to motivate students to take their work seriously and to reward them for their efforts. I require a variety of written and oral assignments so that students gain practice in several different forms of scientific communication. My exams include short-answer questions to promote critical thinking and effective communication. They include lab-related questions, thus underscoring the importance of lab-related learning. And they are cumulative, covering all material from the beginning of the term to the date of the exam. This provides an incentive for students to retain what they learn for the entire term. It also lets me retest students on questions they missed earlier in the term so I can verify that they are learning from their mistakes.

Finally, I am available and accountable to my students. I offer lots of office hours and respond promptly to all student requests. I provide constructive feedback on all student work. I solicit student feedback on my teaching during the term (rather than only at the end) so that I can make timely adjustments from which they can immediately benefit.