Teaching of introductory courses in biological sciences may require additional measures by teachers

Abstract

Teaching of introductory courses in biological sciences can be a new experience for some teachers. Students enrolled in these courses are usually young and most likely new to the academic environment, thus are in need of attentive guidance. Explaining the relevance of the course to the academic program that the student has chosen is an essential measure. Based on experience in teaching such courses at the university level and at different geographical locations, some additional measures by teachers are thought to benefit the education process. These measures include: 1) the course syllabus and learning objectives must be discussed with students in class; 2) teachers ought to provide a course calendar that contains dates of significant activities and events; 3) an initial simple questionnaire about educational background is to be completed by each student, which involves: student identity, related courses taken or being taken concurrently with the course being taught, why the student is taking this course?, and what does the student expect from the course?; 4) reminders should be made to students about deadlines for major assignments and dates of events and examinations, even if provided in the course calendar or syllabus; and 5) an anonymous feedback form is to be completed by students at the end of the course, which contains questions such as: how did the content of the course affect student's general and specific awareness of the subject matter?, what did the student like the most about the course?, what did not the student like about the course?, any suggestions for improving the course, and to make comments about the course or its teacher. Also, the use of a course‐specific e‐mail account or another available electronic medium can be of multiple benefits, which include the enhancement of communication among students and their teacher.