Professor: Thompson Course format: Lecture w/lab Number of respondents: 23 Total Enrollment: 24 Class Composition: Froshs: 18 Sophs: 5 Jrs: 0 Srs: 1 Concs: 8 Non-Concs: 9 Don't Know: 4

Instructor Average: 1.28 Course Average: 1.33

Are you thinking of concentrating in biology? Maybe you"re more of an English person, but want a science course to balance out your schedule. Either way, if you have a basic background in biology, "Biology of Basic Vertebrate Tissues" will teach you to understand the origin, organization, function, and development of the four types of vertebrate tissue, and may be the course for you.

Reviewers universally praised Professor Thompson (who is also Dean of Undergraduate Biology Education) and her energetic teaching style. Students stated that she was clear and well organized, and always eager to respond to students" questions and needs. Her knowledge of and passion for the subject were evident, and helped motivate class members to come to class and to learn. Even when the class moved quickly, reviewers found that outlines, review sessions, and TAs were available and very helpful.

This course was intended for freshmen and sophomores, and students stated that a basic knowledge of biology (either from AP Biology in high school, or from BI 20) was important but not necessary for succes in this class. Students reported spending from one to six hours each week on work for this class, except before tests, when as many as ten hours were necessary. The course structure included three non-cumulative exams and one fifteen-minute presentation. Course readings in the textbook were helpful and comprehensible, but it was noted that the tests were significantly harder than the reading. Reviewers felt that tests were difficult, and some complained that they were not graded on a curve.

Respondents felt that they learned a large amount of material from this class, and people of varying backgrounds (from stated pre-med students to those who reported taking the class to balance their humanities focus) were very satisfied with it. While the class did continue into Reading Period, students liked the structure of the class, which put student presentations after exams so that the course flow was not interrupted.

Overall, this course is highly recommended. Those who took it were thrilled with the professor"s energy and enthusiasm, and while they emphasized that the course is difficult, the benefits were well worth the intellectual challenges.

View BI/0019 in the Brown Online Course Announcement.