Doing science in science courses

[LadyShea]

Thought this was interesting

Bio 150 (http://www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/09-11-18#feature)

Even though we were a small private liberal arts college, we were still introducing our students to biology the way it had been done at most colleges and universities for decades. Students were first paraded through a multi-course introductory sequence in which we passed on to them the biology canon. Only then could they take courses that more closely approximated real science. Much to our dismay, this delay was becoming longer and longer.

[Shake]

I understand what they're getting at, but there's a world of difference between say, electrical engineering, and playing the tuba. You do need a sound mathematical background to have an understanding of why electrical circuits operate the way they do. You really don't need to know -- to such detail anyway -- why or how the tuba works in order to be able to play it.

[fragment]

That course makes a lot of sense to me.

[Qingdai]

It makes sense to have some pre-requisites, but I do agree that the introduction classes can weed out people who would become good biologists or researchers.

My friend who was in chemistry brought that up to me in the 1980s. He thought that the rote learning that one had to undertake, the memorization particularly, kept some people out who may be more creative and look at things in a less traditional way, a way sorely needed when you are experimenting.

That and the low credits for long hours in lab work, was also discouraging.

[naturalist.atheist]

Thought this was interesting

Bio 150 (http://www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/09-11-18#feature)

Even though we were a small private liberal arts college, we were still introducing our students to biology the way it had been done at most colleges and universities for decades. Students were first paraded through a multi-course introductory sequence in which we passed on to them the biology canon. Only then could they take courses that more closely approximated real science. Much to our dismay, this delay was becoming longer and longer.

I guess this is a sign that biology theory is now a greater part of "real" science. IMO that is a good thing.