Professor: Hawrot/Martin/Zaret Course format: Lecture Number of respondents: 40 Total Enrollment: 46

Class Composition Froshs: 0 Sophs: 1 Jrs: 18 Srs: 10 Concs: 32 Non-Concs: 2 Don't Know: 6	Instructor Average: 2.44 Course Average: 2.20

"Advanced Biochemistry" is a course which lives up to its reputation as one of the toughest at Brown. The objective of this class is to gain a basic understanding of fundamental principles of biochemistry while at the same time learning to think critically about current topics in the field. The prerequisites for the class are Biology 28 and either Chemistry 26 or 36. In addition, many students felt that a strong research background and an ability to read scientific research articles were a key to success.

This course was divided into three segments, each of which was taught by a different professor. According to students, the teaching styles of the professors varied greatly. The first portion of the course was taught by Professor Martin, who received generally favorable reviews. Class members described Professor Martin as an inexperienced but organized and interesting lecturer. Professor Hawrot, who taught the second section of the class, was perceived by survey respondents to be a very inadequate instructor. Students reported that he was disorganized, unenthusiastic, and insensitive to the students' level of understanding. The third instructor, Professor Zaret, was generally agreed to be the best of the three. Class members found him to be organized and clear; he was also able to stimulate the students' interest in the material.

The workload of this course was very heavy, as almost all respondents reported that they spent more than 10 hours per week on this class, with several giving ranges between 20 and 40 hours each week. The reading material consisted of approximately 4 to 6 journal articles per week, each of which required a considerable amount to time to read. Students complained that much of the reading was unnecessary and should be reduced. There were six 6-hour labs during the semester. Also, there were three in-class exams, in addition to a comprehensive final exam. These exams were considered difficult, particularly because each one was written by a different professor.

Overall, students felt that this was one of the most challenging courses that they had ever taken. The workload was very intense, but many people reported that they had learned a great deal about biochemical research techniques which they could use in the future, which made the course worthwhile. Most class members were biochemistry concentrators who were required to take the course. Several respondents recommended taking this course only if necessary, while others felt that anyone with a strong interest in biochemical research and a willingness to work hard would benefit from this course.

View BI/0127 in the Brown Online Course Announcement.