I believe my role as a "teacher" is to facilitate active learning and critical thinking by the student, rather than hoping that the student passively absorbs my words and ideas.  The role of the student in this active learning model is to actively participate in a course.  This means preparing for class by reading, asking & responding to questions during class, and doing exercises after class.  The most important aspect of this model is that the student communicate with the teacher when he or she is not learning.  Without this feedback, it is difficult for the teacher to fulfill his or her primary role--to help the student learn.

Every undergraduate should have a clear understanding of the basic concepts of the life sciences, the first of which is the concept of science as a process for understanding the natural world. Sadly, many students leave college without understanding how science is performed, or how to relate scientific knowledge and process to their own lives. I want to help all students appreciate the intellectual beauty and the practical uses of science. A second basic concept is the importance of evolution to understanding living things extant and extinct, and their relationships.  I want to be a resource to help the students understand the reading material, and to facilitate their own investigations into the world of biological sciences. I would encourage critical thinking and the spirit of free inquiry that science affords.

Recent research in education has shown that students learn more effectively when they are encouraged to solve novel problems themselves based on their previous experience, rather than the traditional approach of showing the student how to solve a problem, followed by assigned practice problems. This method has the added benefit of showing the student the way science progresses, since the scientist does not know the answer to a question before doing the experiment. I will encourage students to apply their prior knowledge to biological questions, while providing them the needed resources and advice.

The world is increasingly affected by science and technology, and non-scientists who understand the basis of science behind the technologies which affect all aspects of our lives will be more successful in any endeavor.

Understanding bias, controls, and randomization is critical for students of science and medicine.  Understanding the limitations of experimental design and statistical methods will help students evaluate not only the claims they read in the scientific literature, but also claims made in the media and in everyday life (e.g. psychic claims and other pseudoscience).

Computers have become valuable tools in conducting science and searching the published literature; thus, I would want students to become familiar with on-line sources of information. The ability to communicate clearly, both orally and in written form, is also an essential skill which I would encourage students to practice by presenting their research results to their peers.

Specifics as they relate to coursework

I want you to really understand (1) that basic concepts of how neural systems work, and (2) how the scientific process is used to deduce these basic concepts. As a means towards that end, it is often necessary to memorize certain terms, and certain anatomical details. Knowing these terms and the anatomy is useful, but not as important as understanding the concept. I consider terms and anatomy to be a means to an end, not an end goal by themselves. The end goal instead is to understand neural function--how networks of neurons work together to help the animal to function adequately.

My exams will ask questions that will determine your familiarity with some of these basic concepts. I can't be truly comprehensive in just a couple hours, so some material will not be covered on the exams. The bulk of the exams will cover the more important basic concepts, all of which have been covered in lecture to a degree. Reading assignments often help one understand what was covered briefly in lecture. Ideally, each student will have done the reading before each lecture. Thus, the lectures should be the second time you have seen the material, and you should be prepared to answer and ask questions during class. Don't place implicit faith in my words. I make mistakes and knowledge changes. Question authority and old ideas--that's how we generate new knowledge.

I prefer to not grade on a curve; most people get A's or B's. I will provide practice exam questions before the exam to help you prepare. My ideal goal is for all students to earn A's. But to reach this goal we need to cooperate. I need you to follow my suggestions of reading before class, and working on the study & discussion questions. I can't force you to learn, we need to cooperate to facilitate learning. My responsibilty is to provide an environment conducive to learning. If you have difficulties with any aspect of the course, it is your responsibility to ask for help early and often. That's why I'm here.

modified 8-24-06