Passive vs. Active Learning: Throughout most of your academic career, you, like I, have probably experienced a "passive" form of instruction: a teacher or professor talks, writes on the board, or uses technology, and you listen, take notes, read the book, and then study the material in order to spit it back on the test. The student is like a sponge, soaking up the knowledge, which he/she demonstrates on the test. While this is still the most common form of instruction, studies show it not the best way to learn, and the knowledge doesn't last very long. And if the test requires some thought and analysis, passive studying does 't work very well at all. I had some great professors over the years, but when I think about what they did I realize it was to stimulate interest in the subject that would make me want to study, and to explain the more complicated concepts. What I learned was mostly due to what I did myself, developing and organizing the material, and working out the details in my head so that I understood them - active learning. Long before I demonstrated my knowledge on a test, I demonstrated it by explaining the concepts to myself, or to my friends and classmates. By the time I got to the test, the details had already been worked out.
In the hybrid A&P course we will encourage active learning. You will be given assignments which will help you to organize the content. Quizzes will help you to know what you know and what you don't. And you will have the opportunity to discuss the concepts with your classmates. My job will be to help stimulate you to study, to explain the more complex topics, and the answer questions.
What to expect in the hybrid courses: In the hybrid human anatomy and physiology courses much of the course content, the information you are to learn, is delivered online via WebCT, supported by a class meeting once per week for an hour and 15 minutes. Course content is delivered using PDF "Lectures" with audio files for each slide. These are based on Powerpoint presentations that would normally be shown in class. Each audio file will include the lecture which would normally accompany each slide. Audio files are in MP3 format so those who wish to can play them on their portable MP3 players. In addition, an audio file in Real Media format is available for each PDF, linked to the first page of the PDF file. The text book provides additional information and explanations. Plus, there are other online resources to support your study: a study guide for each section which outlines the terms and concepts you need to know; class notes which provide a condensed version of the content more suitable for printing; and sample questions which provide a sample of the types of questions you can expect on exams. Each week you will have an assignment which will involves organizing the content, taking an online quiz, and sometimes turning in a completed assignment or participating in an online discussion.
During class time we will cover specific topics, explain important concepts, have the opportunity of get questions answered, and have in-class quizzes using the PRS "clickers". Classroom participation will be an important component in learning and will be part of your grade. So will online participation via the discussion board on WebCT. Some participation will be done in groups, and these learning communities will help in organizing and focusing your studies.
Here are the steps to take as you progress through the course.
1. Prepare: Start with the Learning Module to see what is covered for the week. The learning module link on the Course Content Page (WebCT homepage for the course) will have links to the learning modules for each week. (Usually a "week" runs from Monday through Sunday, but sometimes includes other days) Each learning module contains links to the content files, quizzes, and other relevant pages for that week's study. In most cases these links are also available on the syllabus as well as from organizer pages found on the course content page. For example, you will be able to link to the assignment, study guide, class notes, PDF file, online quzzes, sample tests, and even any discussion component for the week from the learning module, or from organizer pages, and in most cases from the syllabus. The syllabus also shows the Text reading assignments.
Read the textbook chapter or pages assigned, and the PDF file with its linked audio lecture files, prior to coming to class. Suggestion: Make notes or an outline from these resources. Pretend you will present the material to a group. You learn best when you are expected to teach someone else, so prepare as if you are. In fact, some group assignments may require you to do just that. Include everything in these notes or outline you will need to know. Use the study guide for what to include. You may need to read text passages twice for understanding, but once you have made the notes or outline you shouldn't have to go back to the book except to look up specific items or to review the diagrams. Use the class notes or the PDF file for review prior to the exam.
A note about the text: Marieb is an excellent and very thorough general anatomy text. But it is not perfect. No general anatomy textbook is. It is incomplete in a number of areas I consider important. It is confusing in others. It is my role to elaborate and clarify these points. You are responsible for what is covered in class, and in the PDF file or class notes, regardless of whether it's in the text or not.
2. Complete any assignments which are given. These may require you to fill in a table or chart, create a "concept map", or participate in a discussion. Many of these assignments contribute to your course grade. These are designed to help you learn successful techniques to master the content. You are encouraged to use the techniques in other parts of the course, even when they aren't to be submitted for a grade.
3. In class. Class attendance is important! You will need to attend class to take advantage of special explanations and Q&A session, plus there will be in-class quizzes and other participation events which will contribute to your participation grade. Classroom activities will be recorded and available from the audio-video files section of the WebCT pages, however you should take notes in outline form in class too. But try to listen to what is said. Often the inflection or context of what is said is important, and little facts may come out that are not reflected in the printed notes. And questions on the exam may be based on the emphasis and interpretation given in class. Later you can go back and fill information in to the notes. Some students like to tape record the lectures and then go back and fill in details they may have missed. The Class Notes and PDF files can give you many details and answer many questions you may have. These pages also provide reference to the diagrams used in class. The notes from class and the notes from the book can be put together into a body of material which you have written that you can then study.
4. Study for the quizzes and exams. Utilize active studying, even when it is not assigned. Some topics lend themselves to making charts or perhaps using index cards to organize lists of related items. For example the names of muscles and their locations and actions. Or a list of hormones with sources, targets, and actions. For control mechanisms and complex processes use flow charts with components linked by arrows to indicate connections and direction. It's important that the student make these his or herself from memory, rather than just studying charts already made in the book or in class. There are a couple of reasons for this: first because it helps you organize it in your mind, and the physical act of creating the chart puts it in memory much more strongly than simply reading it. Secondly, it tells you what you don't know if you can't put it together from memory. Assignments are designed to develop active studying techniques.
5. Follow-up. Many students emphasize study groups for reinforcement. These can work but only after you have learned the material. In any case, with or without other people, ask yourself questions from the objectives. If you can describe and explain what the objective asks, out loud, to yourself or to others, without notes or the book, then you know that one. If you cannot then you know what to study. Ask yourself all the questions you can about each item: what, where, how, functions, relationships, etc.
Each person has learning techniques which work best for him or her. Unfortunately you learn what these are from experience. If you follow the above steps you will discover what works for you.
6. Sample Tests and quizzes. Use the sample tests as an indication of the types of questions which will be asked on the subject. Use them as an indication of where you are in your studying and knowledge. But don't memorize the answers on the sample test, and don't expect the questions to be the same. Think of what different questions might be asked on the same topics. You are responsible for the material presented in class this semester.
(Note: Some students refer to the sample tests as practice tests. I always correct them because this implies that if you simply practice on these tests you will automatically do well. This is not the case! Use the sample tests as a starting point to lead to other questions you can think of over the same material.)
7. Take advantage of resources. But don't expect them to do the work for you. There are abundant resources available to you to add to your learning. But you can make an A without using any of them and, conversely, downloading all of them will be of no use without genuine studying.
8. The following are OPTIONAL EXTRAS. The are provided for those who want more information and further study. They are definitely not required, and should only be explored after you have done the basic studying. They may help with the laboratory since many of the images are the same as those you will see in lab. Some of the images are from my files, but most are linked to another site such as the Kansas University Histoweb or The University of Utah's Web Path. Usually you needn't print the histology or pathology images. If you want to study them later try saving them to disk. But you can see them better as images on your computer screen than as printed images, and they are not so information-dense that you can't simply jot down what's important.
The histology modules: These are selected images and info relevant to the class or laboratory. Understanding the structure and function of cells and tissues can help you to truly understand the organs and systems of which they are part. Many general courses use a top-down approach. But I start with the histology of each system and organ. If you want to really learn anatomy and physiology learn what the cells and tissues do.
The pathology modules: Like the histology modules these are selected pathology images and information related to class or laboratory discussion.
Selected References: On the syllabus and on the Anatomy Topics Links page you will find references to selected articles, some available on the web and some not, related to classwork. As above these are for further study and to stimulate interest in the topic. They will not be independently tested.
Other links such as Medline , Online Medical Dictionary, WebMD, etc. When you have a question about a related topic use the sources I use. You'll find it will enhance your knowledge and interest and you'll become adept at searching out relevant information.
9. Avoiding Pitfalls
Don't become complacent. Don't assume that an anatomy course taken for another program will make this course a breeze for you because you already know it. In fact you'll have to be careful that you aren't unwilling to learn new facts and details. This course is much more detailed and encompassing than courses taken for specialized programs.
The "200 level" myth. A course's number has virtually nothing to do with its difficulty. Courses are numbered according to their position in the hierarchy of departmental offerings and, sometimes, the year you might be expected to take them. BIOL 237/247 and 238/248 should logically be taken in your sophomore year, after introductory biology and chemistry, both 100 level courses. But you will find some 100 and 200 level courses to be very comprehensive and difficult, and some 400 level courses to be pieces of cake. Anatomy and Physiology is one of the former because, unlike many other lower division courses which stress generalizations and oversimplifications, it is heavy on specific information you will need to know to be successful.
There is no curve. You are expected to learn facts and understand concepts about the human body which will be the basis for success in your health-related career. The Allied Health programs rely on this course, among others, to prepare you. There may occasionally be a few points added to a test score to compensate for confusing questions or low overall performance. But by the time the lowest test is dropped and the final exam is included, the class average will be normal. I will adhere to the grading scale listed in the syllabus.
Learning vs. Memorizing. I always get asked for suggestions how to memorize the subject matter. My immediate response it that you shouldn't be memorizing it. Although some topics such as bones, muscles, and nerves may lend themselves to using mnemonic devices, for the most part it is much better to learn the meaning of terms. If you let those terms tell you what the muscle does and therefore where it must be located, or where it connects and therefore what is must do, you will be far ahead in your studies. Learn the general rules for the relationship of structure to function in a particular organ or system. Don't try to memorize a bunch of facts or parts as unrelated pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Most every aspect of anatomy and physiology makes sense if you study it in an organized way.
Another reason for not memorizing is that the test questions will not be quoted in exactly the same phraseology as given in class or in the class notes. There are usually several different ways of expressing the same concepts and I will often use a different phrase on a test than the one used in class, or I may use an example rather than a definition. If you're looking for a key word or phrase to recognize for each item and don't understand the way the item fits into the overall structure or function of the organ or system, then you may be out of luck.
Use your head when signing up for courses. There's a reason we have A&P I and A&P II. The second course in the sequence naturally follows the first. There are concepts and facts that build on one another and that you will need to succeed. Take A&P I (BIOL 237) first and A&P II (BIOL 238) second, only after you have successfully completed A&P I! Take the corresponding lab along with the lecture! Lab and lecture are two parts of the same course. Material from one will be important for success in the other. Don't be so impatient that you penalize yourself in the long run by saving a few month's time. And don't take too much. Impatience can also cause students to load up on several difficult courses during the same semester. Plan your education to take courses in logical sequence and to not burden yourself in ways that will impair your education.