Before anyone responds with the Einstein misinformation.. Read this.. He had stellar grades.
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2004/06/23/1115185.htm On Sun, Oct 23, 2016 at 10:41 AM, Malcolm McCallum < malcolm.mccallum.ta...@gmail.com> wrote: > The biggest problem for students in the life sciences is grades, PERIOD!!! > > If you have a 3.8 in the sciences and never took calculus, you can get in > grad school, and at worse they will ask you to take it then. If you have a > 2.6 gpa and took calculus, and earned an A, you are still going to face a > formidable challenge entering grad school, becoming employed, etc. > > The biggest challenge for students in science is undoubtedly science GPA. > It is not grades in a specific course, which courses they take, or even if > they major in a specific area of the life sciences. Its grades grades > grades. Should they matter? Yes to a degree. But, whether they should or > not, THEY DO MATTER...PERIOD. > > Want to send a message to students? Put a minimum GPA on the major, but > don't restrict courses to students in the major. > If people are worried about the exceptional student who has extraordinary > challenges leading to absurdly unique circumstances, provide an avenue for > a waiver. > > IF students know they better get a 3.0 gpa or their career in biology is > over, the ones who can will, and the ones who can't won't matter. > > That would be the single biggest improvement, so long as faculty did not > drop standards in order to ensure students "stay in the major." > > Adding more classes to a major in which most States are mandating a 120 hr > BS is simply not helpful. Especially when a histotechnologist DOES NOT > need calculus, a wildlife biologist MIGHT need calc (and certification > requires it last I saw!), even if a pure ecologist WILL need it. > > > > > > > > > > On Sun, Oct 23, 2016 at 2:08 AM, Jane Shevtsov <jane....@gmail.com> wrote: > >> For the last four years, I have been working on a new Math for Life >> Scientists course at UCLA that our life sciences majors can take (along >> with a stats course) instead of the usual Calculus for Life Sciences >> sequence. This course dives right into dynamical modeling, with students >> learning how to write basic differential equation models on the first day, >> before we do any calculus, treating X' as just a piece of notation. (Most >> of our students took calculus in high school but this is not a requirement >> and we cover the essential concepts of calculus, which most students who >> took AP Calculus have very little understanding of.) During the two-course >> sequence, we teach the core concepts of calculus, including multivariable, >> and linear algebra, but our main focus is on making, simulating and >> analyzing differential equation models, including many ecological ones. >> Topics covered include state space, vector fields, trajectories, equilibria >> and stability (both graphical and linear), nullclines, bifurcations, >> oscillations and limit cycles, chaos and multivariable optimization, with >> models from ecology, physiology, and other subject areas including >> chemistry and physics. There's also a weekly computer lab that uses the >> free, Python-based program SageMath, so our students also learn basic >> programming. >> >> Student response has been tremendous, to the point where our main >> challenge now is keeping up with demand. (If you might be interested in >> teaching this course, please email me off-llist.) We've had many students >> seek out opportunities to learn more about modeling, get into research that >> uses it, ask for ways to stay involved with the course after finishing it >> (we started an undergraduate learning assistant program for the computer >> labs based on a combination of need and student enthusiasm) and request >> that a third quarter be added to the sequence. (This would probably cover >> stochastic and spatial models.) Basically, we're teaching nonlinear >> dynamics to biology freshmen and they love it. Some combination of this >> kind of modeling course and statistics would serve most students much >> better than calculus. >> >> Jane Shevtsov >> >> On Thu, Oct 20, 2016 at 8:30 PM, John Grady <jgra...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >>> Great conversation. I guess I'll add my two cents too. In my experience >>> (postdoc, macroecology) I deal regularly with calculus equations, but >>> really only insofar as I see them in a paper and need to understand what >>> they are trying to say. I'm not integrating many equations, and I suspect >>> the number of ecologists actually doing such work is somewhere near 1%. >>> Sure, the theory behind most ecology - from Lotka-Volterra to modern >>> statistical methods we use in R - is based on some amount of calculus, >>> probability theory or linear algebra. These are all great things to know, >>> but rarely of much actual use for the vast majority of practicing >>> ecologists. However, what I think *is* very useful, is knowing how read >>> and understand equations. To understand *dN/dt*, you should understand >>> what a derivative is and why its such an important concept. Likewise, >>> understanding integrals and limits are quite useful. A course designed to >>> give biologists a basic vocabulary in calculus - filled with real >>> biological examples - would be invaluable and not nearly so painful and >>> mostly pointless as the calculus many of us have taken. Those classes >>> basically consisted of pattern recognition (what kind of math problem is >>> this?), plugging in some algorithm you'll forget the next week, and then >>> chugging away at a solution that makes little sense. Most math taught today >>> is too abstract and mechanical to offer conceptual insight to biologists. >>> It goes in one ear and out the other. >>> >>> Theoretical and computational type ecologists could certainly benefit >>> from more learning, but I think a mandatory semester stressing conceptual >>> and reading competency in math would be sufficient for 90+ percent of >>> biology majors. The main challenge I suppose would be designing an >>> appropriate curriculum and getting the right instructor to teach it. >>> >>> John >>> >>> On Thu, Oct 20, 2016 at 6:17 PM, Loretta Fisher < >>> loretta.fis...@gmail.com> wrote: >>> >>>> Hello, all, >>>> >>>> What an interesting discussion. I am a master's student in ecology. I >>>> am also from a very rural area in Colorado that has poor public math >>>> education, and am a first generation college student from a low-income >>>> family. Calculus requirements were much of the reason I initially dropped >>>> out of my undergraduate schooling in an aerospace engineering program. >>>> When I finally returned to finish my undergraduate studies, I went to the >>>> humanities instead of the sciences, because I had completely lost my >>>> confidence in my quantitative abilities. It has taken me a long time to >>>> develop the confidence and skills to circle back to the sciences for my >>>> master's degree. That said, I don't think even my sort of experience is a >>>> reason to not have calculus as a requirement for at least those ecology >>>> tracks that are meant to lead to a career in academia. Academic rigor has >>>> become something I deeply value, and I don't feel our pity or coddling will >>>> help students succeed in a field that requires increasing amounts of >>>> quantitative skill. However, I think such requirements must also be paired >>>> with academic tutoring programs that ACTIVELY reach out to students who are >>>> struggling, and that do so early and often. In my opinion, it is not >>>> enough to just have the tutoring programs be passively available to >>>> students. When I struggled in my calculus classes, I was not at all a lazy >>>> student, but I was ashamed of my struggles, and I found it too embarrassing >>>> to ask for help when no one else in my class seemed to need it. This was >>>> the early 2000s and I was one of probably ten female students in my >>>> freshman calculus class at that time. Boys in my class would make fun of >>>> me and ask me questions like, "Why don't you just major in psychology?" At >>>> our school, the calculus tutors were all male, and I did not want to have >>>> them laugh at me either, so I never went to them. I just bit my nails in >>>> anxiety, writing almost nothing on my calculus exams while other students >>>> madly scribbled answers. I think the challenge of keeping careers in >>>> science accessible to people of all socioeconomic groups, genders, >>>> backgrounds, etc. lies in not having a disparate negative impact on some >>>> student populations while also not compromising academic rigor. If these >>>> two goals share equal priority, then I feel students can only benefit from >>>> adding the calculus requirement. But the goals must share equal priority >>>> to not exacerbate or perpetuate historical patterns of exclusion from the >>>> sciences. If I were the chair of an ecology department, I would design it >>>> so that any ecology students whose GPA dropped below a certain level in >>>> calculus would be required to let the department match them with a tutor >>>> they felt comfortable with. >>>> >>>> -Loretta >>>> >>>> On Tue, Oct 18, 2016 at 2:22 PM, Kyle Whittinghill < >>>> kyle.whittingh...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>> >>>>> Hello, >>>>> >>>>> I agree with the points everyone has stated so far in support of >>>>> Calculus. In an ideal world students would have the options calculus >>>>> courses geared toward the environmental/life sciences rather than the >>>>> traditionally taught ones. There are books that are oriented for this >>>>> purpose (i.e. Neuhauser *Calculus for Biology and Medicine* >>>>> https://www.amazon.com/Calculus-Biology-Medicine-Li >>>>> fe-Sciences/dp/0321644689). Just as many institutions offer applied >>>>> statistics courses. >>>>> >>>>> More and more of ecology and environmental biology requires modeling, >>>>> statistics or both. My anecdotal evidence from teaching Ecology courses >>>>> and environmental computer modeling courses is that students who have >>>>> taken >>>>> calculus (not required in either case) perform better in the population >>>>> growth parts of an Ecology class and in computer modeling than students >>>>> who >>>>> have not had calculus. My guess is that when surveyed students would not >>>>> say that they used calculus in either course, despite the benefits they >>>>> had >>>>> from a better understanding of derivatives, integration, and fitting >>>>> functions. While I don't have data to back this up, it might be an >>>>> interesting question which someone else has researched. >>>>> >>>>> Developing a quantitative methods course geared towards biology majors >>>>> would give students the directly applicable skills to the major if done >>>>> well. While I am someone who has used a significant amount of mathematics >>>>> in my teaching and research and personally believe the more math the >>>>> better, I understand students are limited in the time/money they have for >>>>> taking courses. Therefore, I worry requiring students to take a >>>>> quantitative methods class when they might have to take calculus and/or >>>>> statistics anyway (for medical school, graduate school, etc.) means >>>>> essentially requiring more courses either now or in the future for your >>>>> majors. >>>>> >>>>> Kyle >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> Dr. Kyle Ann Whittinghill >>>>> Lecturer and Undergraduate Advisor >>>>> Department of Geology and Environmental Science >>>>> University of Pittsburgh >>>>> 4107 O'Hara St. >>>>> Pittsburgh, PA 15260-3332 >>>>> Office Phone: 412-383-7052 >>>>> Office: SRCC Room 216 >>>>> >>>> >>>> >>> >> >> >> -- >> ------------- >> Jane Shevtsov, Ph.D. >> Mathematical Biology Curriculum Writer, UCLA >> co-founder, www.worldbeyondborders.org >> >> "Muad'Dib learned rapidly because his first training was in how to learn. >> And the first lesson of all was the basic trust that he *could* learn. >> It's shocking to find how many people do not believe they can learn, and >> how many more believe learning to be difficult." --Frank Herbert, *Dune* >> > > > > -- > Malcolm L. McCallum > Director of the Aquatic Resources Center > Aquaculture and Water Quality Research Scientist > School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences > Langston University > Langston, Oklahoma > > > Link to online CV and portfolio : https://www.visualcv.com/ > malcolm-mc-callum?access=18A9RYkDGxO > Google Scholar citation page: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user= > lOHMjvYAAAAJ&hl=en > Academia.edu: https://ui-springfield.academia.edu/ > MalcolmMcCallum/Analytics#/activity/overview?_k=wknchj > Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/ > Malcolm_Mccallum/reputation?ev=prf_rep_tab > <https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Malcolm_Mccallum/reputation?ev=prf_rep_tab> > Ratemyprofessor: http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/ > ShowRatings.jsp?tid=706874 > > *Confidentiality Notice:* This e-mail message, including any attachments, > is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain > confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized > review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the > intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy > all copies of the original message. > > “*Nothing is more priceless and worthy of preservation than the rich > array of animal life with which our country has been blessed. It is a > many-faceted treasure, of value to scholars, scientists, and nature lovers > alike, and it forms a vital part of the heritage we all share as Americans.* > ” > *-President Richard Nixon upon signing the Endangered Species Act of 1973 > into law.* > > "*Peer pressure is designed to contain anyone with a sense of drive*" -* > Allan Nation* > > *1880's: *"*There's lots of good fish in the sea*" W.S. Gilbert > *1990's:* Many fish stocks depleted due to overfishing, habitat loss,and > pollution. > 2000: Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction > *MAY* help restore populations. > 2022: "Soylent Green is People!" Charleton Heston as Detective Thorn > 2022: "People were always awful, but their was a world once, and it was > beautiful.' Edward G. Robinson as Sol Roth. > > The Seven Blunders of the World (Mohandas Gandhi) > Wealth w/o work > Pleasure w/o conscience > Knowledge w/o character > Commerce w/o morality > Science w/o humanity > Worship w/o sacrifice > Politics w/o principle > > -- Malcolm L. McCallum Director of the Aquatic Resources Center Aquaculture and Water Quality Research Scientist School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences Langston University Langston, Oklahoma Link to online CV and portfolio : https://www.visualcv.com/malcolm-mc-callum?access=18A9RYkDGxO Google Scholar citation page: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=lOHMjvYAAAAJ&hl=en Academia.edu: https://ui-springfield.academia.edu/MalcolmMcCallum/Analytics#/activity/overview?_k=wknchj Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Malcolm_Mccallum/reputation?ev=prf_rep_tab <https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Malcolm_Mccallum/reputation?ev=prf_rep_tab> Ratemyprofessor: http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/ShowRatings.jsp?tid=706874 *Confidentiality Notice:* This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. “*Nothing is more priceless and worthy of preservation than the rich array of animal life with which our country has been blessed. It is a many-faceted treasure, of value to scholars, scientists, and nature lovers alike, and it forms a vital part of the heritage we all share as Americans.* ” *-President Richard Nixon upon signing the Endangered Species Act of 1973 into law.* "*Peer pressure is designed to contain anyone with a sense of drive*" -* Allan Nation* *1880's: *"*There's lots of good fish in the sea*" W.S. Gilbert *1990's:* Many fish stocks depleted due to overfishing, habitat loss,and pollution. 2000: Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction *MAY* help restore populations. 2022: "Soylent Green is People!" Charleton Heston as Detective Thorn 2022: "People were always awful, but their was a world once, and it was beautiful.' Edward G. Robinson as Sol Roth. The Seven Blunders of the World (Mohandas Gandhi) Wealth w/o work Pleasure w/o conscience Knowledge w/o character Commerce w/o morality Science w/o humanity Worship w/o sacrifice Politics w/o principle
