tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post6426113323401128056..comments2024-03-25T02:33:41.590-05:00Comments on FemaleScienceProfessor: Changing of the SyllabusFemale Science Professorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15288567883197987690noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-68720313176917389922012-03-31T16:51:48.175-05:002012-03-31T16:51:48.175-05:00I find this discussion quite amusing. I teach fre...I find this discussion quite amusing. I teach freshman physics, and one of the things that I have changed dramatically in the last decade (reflected in the syllabus sequencing) is thermodynamics. I just wish there was a way to get nonsense like "specific heat" (which has nothing to do with heat, because it is determined by the change in internal energy) out of there completely. Students follow the subject much better if stat mech comes in at the start, but that is for another blog. <br /><br />I have also changed the emphasis in several significant ways, testing heavily on some problem-solving skills used in both physics and engineering that were never assessed in any way in classes I've been involved with in the past or observed more recently. <br /><br />Examples? All the time, sometimes, but never, in a few cases. The forces on Cameron's deep-sea exploration vessel really engaged the class this year and will be useful for a few years.Doctor Pionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12513786840852469648noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-64666358914396504522012-03-28T17:50:29.411-05:002012-03-28T17:50:29.411-05:00I had a comment that grew long. It's on teachi...I had a comment that grew long. It's on teaching calculus and the constraints on dramatically changing content covered. Find it <a href="http://kovaquestions.blogspot.com/2012/03/changing-of-example-systemic.html" rel="nofollow">here</a> if you desire.Sofiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07596023636745616157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-55337301399091870592012-03-28T11:26:56.278-05:002012-03-28T11:26:56.278-05:00What are the courses that never change?
Freshman ...<i>What are the courses that never change?</i><br /><br />Freshman physics.<br /><br />Somebody will no doubt say something about exciting interactive methods to teach freshman physics. Yes. But all that means is that you use a clicker and have a group discussion of a block on an inclined plane, instead of a lecture about a block on an inclined plane.<br /><br />One <i>could</i> change freshman physics, if one adopted a curriculum like Matter And Interactions by Chabay and Sherwood, but that would mean doing something different, and that would be different and hence bad.Alexnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-38356999536777829212012-03-28T11:02:31.821-05:002012-03-28T11:02:31.821-05:00The most recent updates to the syllabus for my fre...The most recent updates to the syllabus for my freshmen chem class syllabus have been:<br /><br />Three years ago: added a "understanding of expectations" to be signed by the students indicating the have read the syllabus, know who to talk to about problems, how to calculate their grade, when the exam dates are. <br /><br />Two years ago: added an e-mail policy requiring complete sentences, opening and closing, and hours available/ return time.<br /><br />Last year: added a section on estimated time/effort the students should expend on the course both inside and outside study based on the types of classes they had in high school.<br /><br />The core content for freshman chemistry is pretty much the same as when I was an undergrad, so there is not much change there, but I do constantly revise notes, examples, problems, and most importantly demonstrations in class.nanoalchemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10000634831902196631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-41752246063536943702012-03-28T09:38:06.311-05:002012-03-28T09:38:06.311-05:00I teach General Chemistry frequently. The content...I teach General Chemistry frequently. The content doesn't change much if at all. I try to change the pedagogy I use and the ways I try to put the material in context on a regular basis-meaning little adjustments to about 1/3rd of the lectures each semester.<br /><br />I also teach instrumental analysis and that class changes up very regularly because new technology and dominant technology changes so often.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-27262230902166889722012-03-28T08:23:33.919-05:002012-03-28T08:23:33.919-05:00I teach a course in taxonomy and plant identificat...I teach a course in taxonomy and plant identification. And while on the one hand a red maple is a red maple (Acer rubrum, and the meaning of the term pubescent (fuzzy) won't change, plants names are continually changing and plants come in and out of fashion, so my course is continually being revised, even if at it's most basic, a rose is a rose by any other name.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-79875670749812514122012-03-28T08:09:37.616-05:002012-03-28T08:09:37.616-05:00Most of my colleagues and I revamp, freshen up, up...Most of my colleagues and I revamp, freshen up, update our courses every time we teach them, at least in some ways. Not every science class needs to incorporate the very latest thing, but it's important to show students that these are dynamic subjects, with new things being discovered and important things yet to be discovered (perhaps by them, the students, in the future).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-50035458461328296732012-03-28T07:47:35.592-05:002012-03-28T07:47:35.592-05:00What are the courses that never change?
- courses...What are the courses that never change?<br /><br />- courses on "old" literature or ancient history (or even then, have ideas and approaches changed)?<br />- courses on "core" concepts (thermodynamics? or again, maybe there are new applications that would be taught?)<br /><br />Are there any courses that never change and really don't need to, or are unchanging courses only taught by professors who don't want to change them (for whatever reason)?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-37053576731837788572012-03-28T07:41:48.183-05:002012-03-28T07:41:48.183-05:00I have both. I teach an introductory course in the...I have both. I teach an introductory course in the field and that hasn't changed much since I started as a TA in grad shool. I do change the examples (I'm in media) but even then, the students havnt seen older films so while I like to include current stuff, I also want to include the old stuff as part of their learning process. I also teach a grad class focused specifically on the latest media trends so that is radically different each time I teach it. And then there are many in between.Andreahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11622350001179389541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-63003823468735887382012-03-28T06:27:52.865-05:002012-03-28T06:27:52.865-05:00I do this systematically in one of my courses (a m...I do this systematically in one of my courses (a mid-upper level undergrad course). Every semester, and I teach this course every semester, I take two weeks of the material and start over with it. I catch up on relevant new developments, gather new data and new examples, and end up replacing 10-100% of the content of each class meeting. <br /><br />By taking two weeks every semester, I end up revising my class roughly 3-4 years, maybe every 5 years when I include the sleep-deprived postpartum years I scraped by...<br /><br />Although some of the important concepts and examples remain unchanged (perhaps 25%), I've changed that particular course 75% in a dozen years. <br /><br />I think it would be really really boring to teach the same thing all the time. But, I like teaching... and I'd like to continue liking it.professormamallamanoreply@blogger.com