Michael Johnson on motivating the non-major science student.

MICHAEL D. JOHNSON teaches physiology and human biology at West Virginia University. He has been honored with several teaching awards during his more than twenty years on the faculty, including the West Virginia University Foundation Outstanding Teacher Award and the Distinguished Teacher Award of the School of Medicine. An accomplished researcher, Dr. Johnson earned his Ph.D. in Physiology at the University of Michigan, completed a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at Harvard Medical School, and has published over 25 papers on renal, cardiovascular, and endocrine physiology.

Whether teaching undergraduates or medical students, Mike has a keen interest in instilling in his students an appreciation for the dynamic nature of science and an understanding of how new scientific knowledge raises ethical, political, economic, and social issues. He is a member of the Teaching Section of the American Physiological Society, the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society, the National Association of Biology Teachers, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Mike is also the author of the new text, Human Biology: Concepts and Current Issues 2/E.

BC | Who has had the biggest influence on your career, and why?

MJ | Two individuals come to mind. Dr. Ronald Adkins was my undergraduate advisor at Washington State University, back when I was a confused and directionless undergraduate student. His passion for life in general and physiology in particular sparked an interest in me that has lasted a lifetime. But more than that, he recognized my confusion and lack of direction and took me under his wing, inviting me to his home and showing me how life as a physiologist had been for him. Largely because of his influence, I became a teacher rather than a physician.

The second person was Dr. George Hedge, the chairman of physiology who brought me to West Virginia University and then gave me the freedom to pursue my own interests. He understood the concept that teaching is one of the highest forms of scholarship, ranking right up there with original research, and so he was very encouraging when I expressed an interest in teaching and in writing for undergraduate students.

It is interesting to look back and realize that both of these individuals were superb and passionate teachers, and that both affected me at critical periods of personal maturation and professional development. I think we (teachers) sometimes lose sight of how strong an influence we can have on students, particularly at critical junctures in their lives.

BC | Your interest in helping undergraduates is evident in the articles you've written for the Strategies for Success Newsletter. What are the most important lessons you have learned as you try to get non-major students engaged in science courses?

MJ | The minds of many young undergraduates are elsewhere when they walk into class. Many of them are away from home for the first time and are not all that adept at coping, let alone studying. They're thinking about some crisis in their personal life; choosing a career; passing English 101; their finances; sex. In addition, English may be a second language for them. Add it all up and it's clear they're not necessarily thinking about the human immune system! So to get them engaged one must reach them where they are initially, not where we want them to end up. The material needs to be interesting and relevant. Fortunately, this is rather easy in human biology because they're nearly all interested in their own bodies. Who isn't interested in sexual reproduction, or exercise, or how your body fights off the flu? I've learned to use their curiosity to "hook" them and get them to want to know more.

BC | The students you teach run the gamut from non-science undergrads to medical students; what would you say are the main differences between teaching a science major vs a non-major student?

MJ | The two major differences are background and motivation. Science majors (medical students are the ones with which I'm most familiar) already know the basic concepts in the field and are highly motivated, generally speaking. Teaching them is relatively easy because one need only figure out what they already know and then pile on the material at the next higher level. The only hard part is staying abreast of the knowledge itself. Non-science majors are harder to teach, but done right it can be infinitely more rewarding. Non-science students need to have science de-mystified for them, which can be done by highlighting certain key concepts and using examples from their everyday lives. They need to be given a chance to have some success with science, and the earlier and more often the better!

BC | Ealier you mentioned the idea that teaching is one of the highest forms of scholarship, how has your experience as a researcher affected your process of writing Human Biology?

MJ | Research has reinforced for me that science is a continual process of change; that what we currently believe to be true is always open to examination and may change tomorrow. As I wrote Human Biology: Concepts and Current Issues, one of my goals was to show students how our knowledge has advanced over time in many key areas—to help them become comfortable with the idea of change. Only then will students be able to understand the context of what they read or hear in the media without becoming frustrated. I'm hoping that they will become better "science consumers".

BC | Speaking of change, do you think that in the process of writing a textbook you have improved your skills as an instructor? How?

MJ | Most certainly, yes. There were certain concepts, even in my own field, that I don't think I explained well to my students until I had to write about them. One of the joys of writing was that I was constantly having "Aha! I get it!" experiences while searching for just the right words to explain concepts that I thought I already fully understood. As a result, I now spend more time trying to get these big concepts and unifying principles across to the students, and less time reciting facts that can be found in a book. I try to actually watch them have that "Aha!" experience in class.

More from Michael Johnson on getting students interested in science.
Click on the Strategies Workshops button and then on "Newsletters" to read Michael Johnson's articles:

• Issue 34, No. 4: Activities Can Engage Students—Even in Lecture Courses
• Issue 32, No. 5: Teaching Science to Non-Science Majors—A Personal View

Interested in class testing?
Through class testing, you and your students can "test drive" chapters from Human Biology and impact the development of new course materials. To participate please e-mail humanbio@awl.com.

Human Biology: Concepts and Current Issues 2/E, by Michael Johnson