Common knowledge that premed and bio programs use chemistry as gateway courses to lower the numbers in their programs. Not entirely clear that students are ever asked about what they were to have learned (maybe for the MCATs). Now we have forensics students as well.
Given that you know that students have to want to learn what do you think about all the science course required for other reasons than learning? This has a major impact on the DFW numbers and you can do as much active learning as possible and not change much. Pre-meds are a classic example.
I'm not sure what you mean by "all the science course required for other reasons than learning." I assume that any prerequisite or curriculum requirement is included because someone thought that students should *learn* the content or skills in that course.
Of course, when students take a course because they have to, it's common for them to not actually care about learning the content and skills in that course! As instructors, we can work hard to make the content interesting and obviously relevant, but ultimately, motivation is up to the student.
I had a student once who played candy crush on his phone during the majority of class periods, even during active learning activities. When I asked him why he didn't put his phone down, he said "My parents want me to take this class." He exemplified lack of internal motivation. There wasn't anything I could do to help his motivation, though in retrospect I wish I would have set an anti-phone policy to prevent his use of his phone from distracting others.
Common knowledge that premed and bio programs use chemistry as gateway courses to lower the numbers in their programs. Not entirely clear that students are ever asked about what they were to have learned (maybe for the MCATs). Now we have forensics students as well.
Yeah motivation is the sticking point. I *like* the feeling of struggle. My students? Not so much.
Given that you know that students have to want to learn what do you think about all the science course required for other reasons than learning? This has a major impact on the DFW numbers and you can do as much active learning as possible and not change much. Pre-meds are a classic example.
I'm not sure what you mean by "all the science course required for other reasons than learning." I assume that any prerequisite or curriculum requirement is included because someone thought that students should *learn* the content or skills in that course.
Of course, when students take a course because they have to, it's common for them to not actually care about learning the content and skills in that course! As instructors, we can work hard to make the content interesting and obviously relevant, but ultimately, motivation is up to the student.
I had a student once who played candy crush on his phone during the majority of class periods, even during active learning activities. When I asked him why he didn't put his phone down, he said "My parents want me to take this class." He exemplified lack of internal motivation. There wasn't anything I could do to help his motivation, though in retrospect I wish I would have set an anti-phone policy to prevent his use of his phone from distracting others.