Philosophy
of Teaching (and Research): Marion L. Carroll, Ph.D.
Teaching…
As I am primarily responsible for teaching Biochemistry I have emphasized the historical and medicinal aspects and the development of this discipline and contributions that many different scientists from many different backgrounds have made over the years. This is a fairly young science yet it has affected and grown from many aspects of medicine, pharmacology, genetics, ecology and more recently from computational sciences and mathematics. My research lab focuses on genome structure and the utilization of the Genome Projects in answering questions about what distinguishes life forms and who we are as biochemical beings, what makes us unique and how time and the environment might have influenced our structure and function.
Research…
My teaching responsibilities
often combine aspects of my research applications and discussions. I
truly enjoy working with inquisitive students in my research lab as I see this
as an opportunity for me to draw out new perspectives on the research. This does not always happen but my most
effective students have given presentations of their work either on campus or
at scientific meetings. I firmly believe in self-motivation during a
research project. This is essential to learning and developing a project,
as mistakes as well as experience make the best teachers. I do emphasize
to my students to be economical and thrifty and to ask plenty of questions
while working in my research lab. In this way they feel free to make
mistakes correct them and move on. As tempting as it is to pressure good
students for my own ends this does not encourage independent thinking and
attitudes of ownership of their work. This was what I valued in my
training. My students are sometimes
amazed at what they can accomplish on their own.
The majority of my students
want to enter medical, dental, nursing or pharmacy school after college.
Few wish to pursue a career in academics or research. Given that the
latter is my passion, I present the positive aspects of a career in academics
and research and play “devils advocate” with their decisions to pursue
healthcare careers. I would like to think that I have persuaded just a
few to change their minds for their own good. I believe that a good
science and math education is essential for our young people personally and our
society in general. Scientific awareness diminishes misunderstandings,
myths, superstitions and stereotypes in our communities. I hope my efforts to
effectively teach biochemistry and organic chemistry as well as be an example
to our students will serve to encourage our efforts here at Xavier University
to create leaders and promote a just and humane society.
Syllabi
As in my conversation, my syllabi have been simple and succinct. I state my objective, evaluation and expectation. This allows me the flexibility to engage students in various assignments and projects that help to illustrate the overall objectives. Some students have taken issue with the lack of specifics, but I explain that as in graduate school, the student is expected to invite various engagements in the subject, not just the expected quizzes and tests. Students are proactive in their learning, not minimalists. There in lies our most frequent conflict in the classroom. Graduate level expectations seems unreasonable to some students yet this is the only level of work I prepare in these Senior level courses.
Examinations
Like my syllabi my
examinations have gone and continue to go through a transition from the
traditional evaluation of the student’s memory of points and facts discussed
during lecture and covered in the notes to more inquiry based, problem solving
exams given in a traditional format. I have made and effort to also
assess student comprehension of the purpose and reason for certain techniques
and theories. For example, “How do most active proteins maintain their
shape?” There might be reasons that are obvious like the need for
protein-protein interactions for certain functions. A protein of which
structure is not maintained may be considered mutated, denatured, or incomplete
(missing cofactors). My effort is to make students conversant in the
subtle and less obvious facts to show that they were students of
chemistry. I would hope that my students will understand the effects of
the aqueous environment on protein shape, on amino acid charges and on ionic
strength. I want them to remember that many proteins serve as enzymes
where on some level water and consequently enzyme shape determines the efficacy
of the enzymatic properties.
As dynamic as my
examinations have been, my evaluations of these exams have also transitioned.
Testing for correct values, definitions and facts, depending on how it is done,
can be less of a challenge to students with well-developed techniques for
memorization. My evaluation of this kind of test is rather
straightforward and is useful for quizzes and bonus assignments. The more
thought provoking examinations reach deeper into a student’s knowledge and
understanding of the points raised during lecture and in their reading and
therefore require more subjective evaluation. Total points are usually much
lower on exams given in the latter format however students can improve their
score and consequently their understanding through discussion of points that
were unclear from either their interpretation of the question or from my
questionable presentation of the material. This transition has however
not effected the average class grade distributions. I see this as a
positive indication that I have equally raised the standard for all levels of
comprehension. In an effort to be more and more challenging to my
students I feel that even my lesser achievers are becoming more and more
prepared to think about the science at the semester progresses.
In addition to exam evaluations, improving of student comprehension is also accomplished through literature reviews with occasional in-class discussion and open note testing usually through Blackboard. Given the limitations of time and class size a single literature review of a recent scientific publication on relevant topics two or three times during the semester is often quite exciting for many students who have never been exposed to the practical applications of the science. Some take keen interest in understanding the thought process behind some projects reviewed. What is true and often a shock to students is that not everything in print can be believed or even be correct. Open-note testing and open-class testing at other times helps me to emphasize to them their need to depend upon their collective understanding when studying and encourage study in groups and constructive communication with one another.