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Biology 115: Evolution, Behavior, and EcologyGeorge
M. Diggs, Jr. |
I am writing this handout to give you some hints that have proven helpful to other students over the past few years. You may already have study habits that are most effective for you, but some of the study methods necessary for science courses are a little different. Hopefully you'll find something in the following list that will be useful.
1. TEACHING PHILOSOPHY. First, let me explain a little about my
philosophy of teaching. You will immediately find that my
lectures, while on the same general topics, are independent of
the textbook. There are several reasons for this. First, I will
be lecturing on the topics that seem most central and essential
for a basic understanding of Biology. This may or may not
correspond to a given text. Second, I believe if I was only going
to follow the text, there would be no place for my research and
other experiences in my teaching. Therefore I attempt to
integrate my strengths and knowledge into the course. Third,
different people understand things differently, and if the text
presents material in one way and I present it in another, more
people will eventually understand the concept.
All of this can be summarized as follows:
1. The lecture is the most important part of the course.
2. Approximately 75-80% of the test questions will come from lecture
material and you should consider this in terms of how to study.
3. Test questions will be taken from each and every lecture.
2. ATTENDENCE: It has been my experience that
individuals generally fail to do well in this course if they do
not attend class consistently, having had a reasonable amount of
sleep, and having studied the material from the previous sessions
before class. Also, success at college depends largely upon maintaining a professional attitude to your education. Therefore, I
consider class attendance to be of paramount importance and
expect attendance at every class session unless you are really sick or you have some other campus commitment, such as an intercollegiate sports event, whose schedule creates a conflict beyond your control. Seats will be
assigned and role will be taken. If you miss a class session, you
will be required to complete a makeup assignment. Absence for
any reason will require the makeup assignment. After
three absences, each additional absence that is not due to a
required, conflicting campus event (e.g. athletic road trip,
choir performance) will result in the loss of two percentage
points off your final grade. The makeup assignment is to turn in
a typed, detailed summary of the lecture you missed. You will
need to borrow lecture notes from a classmate, organize the
notes, and turn in a summary in your own words. The summary must
be a minimum of one and one-half typewritten pages and must be
turned in at class within one week of the missed session.
Summaries that do not represent college level work will be
returned without credit for revision. If the makeup assignment is
not completed within one week of the absence, your semester grade
will be reduced by one percentage point. Arriving late to class
(after attendance is taken, which will typically occur during the
first five minutes) will count as half an absence. Clearly, two
such half absences become a full absence. Makeup assignments will
be required within one week of a "full" absence. If all
of this is not sufficient incentive to inspire attendance and you
nevertheless miss class regularly, I will drop you from the
course. I will warn you once before doing so.
3. DETAIL. You will find in this course that there are quite a
few words and terms that you will have to remember. (Examples:
natural selection, synergism, coevolution, etc.). It is essential
that you know these, because without a basic vocabulary even the
simplest explanation becomes difficult. (Example: In an
explanation of the evolution of the primates, the terms
prehensile, stereoscopic vision, and gestation period are
critical.) This is not to say that I am overly concerned with
trivia--in fact I'm just the opposite--concepts are what I will
be focusing on. However, you must study for detail because: 1)
you cannot understand scientific concepts without facts, 2) one
of the purposes of this course is to obtain a strong foundation,
including vocabulary, to build on in your upper level Biology
courses and 3) you will be tested on your knowledge of important
facts and details in addition to concepts.
4. NOTETAKING. Taking good notes in class will go a long way in
helping you do well in this course. You should leave plenty of
open space in your notes so that you can jot in related concepts
or ideas later (from the book, discussions with other students,
additional thought, etc.). Leaving open space and giving your
notes some organization are also important in helping you later
use the notes to study from. See the detailed advice on taking notes given on the special assignment linked from the course homepage.
5. DAILY STUDY. Psychologists tell us that much is forgotten
shortly after exposure. Therefore it is recommended that you go
over your lecture notes later the same day even if only for a few
minutes. I have seen this make a big difference in a student's
grades. Some studies indicate that a little additional study
shortly after initial exposure increases retention by 80%. Also,
usually I have a reason for everything I say in class. When you
go over your notes you should try to figure out what I was trying
to convey and why.
6. READINGS. You have reading assignments on your syllabus and I will be giving you additional assignments from time to time during the semester. I consider these reading assignments important. You can count on test questions from each reading assignment given. Approximately 20-25% of the questions on the tests will come from the readings. You should read the material carefully trying to understanding the basic concepts and terms. I will not test on trivia from the readings, but learning to decide what is important and what is not is a skill that takes effort to develop. Do the assigned reading prior to coming to class. You will get a lot more out of lecture by being familiar with the material. Many people find it valuable to take brief notes while they are reading. These can prove particularly helpful when studying for a test.
Also, use your test as a reference. Use the index to help you
find additional information on material you do not understand or
need to clarify.
7. STUDYING FOR EXAMS. You should begin studying for an exam
several days prior to the exam itself. One night of preparation
is simply not going to be enough for a course with a substantial
amount of concepts and details. There will be review sessions
prior to the exams and you should make use of these. You should
not spend your study time just before a test either doing your
readings for the first time or completely rereading them.
8. OLD EXAMS. I in general do not use old tests to write new
tests. Old exams may be helpful to give you an idea about the
type of question I will ask, but do not rely on them for exact
questions.
9. RELATING IDEAS. I try to emphasize relating one idea to
another or synthesizing facts into some type of coherent whole.
(Ex. When studying human behavior late in the semester, relate
what you learned previously about human evolution.) This is
reflected in my tests. Therefore in your studying you should try
to relate one concept or idea to others. You should try to
integrate the material from the book and from the lectures. Look
for inconsistencies or disagreements between what I say and what
the book says--there's often a reason. This is where you can
really learn.
10. ADDITIONAL HELP. I will be available during my office hours or by appointment to give you additional assistance. We are also fortunate to have on campus an Academic Skills Center where you can obtain additional help with course material. The Academic Skills Center is run by Laura Marquez. In addition, a number of excellent upper class students are available to help with you with Biology 115. The Center is open Monday-Friday from 9 am to 5 pm and Sunday-Thursday 6-10 pm. Call or go by to make an appointment. Students seeking accommodations for disabilities should contact Laura directly.
George Diggs