About 600 Natural Scientists per year Mostly 18 years old Top ~1.5% of the population Already rather...

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Cambridge University and the Natural approach to teaching Science John Biggins... University of Cambridge

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Page 1: About 600 Natural Scientists per year Mostly 18 years old Top ~1.5% of the population Already rather specialized – 4 A-levels Broadly divided 50:50 between.

Cambridge University and the Natural approach to teaching Science

John Biggins... University of Cambridge

Page 2: About 600 Natural Scientists per year Mostly 18 years old Top ~1.5% of the population Already rather specialized – 4 A-levels Broadly divided 50:50 between.

Who are Cambridge Teaching?

• About 600 Natural Scientists per year• Mostly 18 years old• Top ~1.5% of the population• Already rather specialized – 4 A-levels• Broadly divided 50:50 between Physical and Biological Sciences

Page 3: About 600 Natural Scientists per year Mostly 18 years old Top ~1.5% of the population Already rather specialized – 4 A-levels Broadly divided 50:50 between.

Natural Science…

1st Year: 4 Subjects

2nd Year: 3 Subjects

3rd Year: 1 Subject

4th Year: More Specialization

Page 4: About 600 Natural Scientists per year Mostly 18 years old Top ~1.5% of the population Already rather specialized – 4 A-levels Broadly divided 50:50 between.

Why?• Old – First taught in 1849 – everything compulsory• Current form from the 1950’s,• Chemistry colliding with physics + biology – structure of DNA• Important developments to the “narrative of science” occurring in several fields – big bang vs steady state, DNA, start of plate tectonics…

Page 5: About 600 Natural Scientists per year Mostly 18 years old Top ~1.5% of the population Already rather specialized – 4 A-levels Broadly divided 50:50 between.

Isn’t science really one subject anyway?

Page 6: About 600 Natural Scientists per year Mostly 18 years old Top ~1.5% of the population Already rather specialized – 4 A-levels Broadly divided 50:50 between.

The first year• Biology of Cells• Chemistry • Computer Science• Geology• Evolution and Behaviour• Material and Mineral Science• Mathematics (3 types)• Physics• Physiology of Organisms

Page 7: About 600 Natural Scientists per year Mostly 18 years old Top ~1.5% of the population Already rather specialized – 4 A-levels Broadly divided 50:50 between.

The second year• Animal Biology• Biochemistry and Molecular Biology• Cell and Developmental Biology• Chemistry (x2)• Ecology• Experimental Psychology• Geological Sciences (x2)• History and Philosophy of Science• Materials Science and Metallurgy• Mathematics• Mineral Sciences• Neurobiology• Pathology• Pharmacology• Physics (x2)• Physiology• Plant and Microbial Sciences

Page 8: About 600 Natural Scientists per year Mostly 18 years old Top ~1.5% of the population Already rather specialized – 4 A-levels Broadly divided 50:50 between.

Third and fourth years

• Astrophysics (+ 4th year)• Biochemistry (+ 4th year)• Chemistry (+ 4th year)• Genetics• Geological Sciences: (+ 4th year)• History and Philosophy of Science (+ 4th year)• Materials Science and Metallurgy (+ 4th year)• Neuroscience• Pathology• Pharmacology• Experimental and Theoretical Physics (+ 4th year)• Physiology, Development and Neuroscience• Plant Sciences• Psychology• Zoology

Page 9: About 600 Natural Scientists per year Mostly 18 years old Top ~1.5% of the population Already rather specialized – 4 A-levels Broadly divided 50:50 between.

The Colleges

Page 10: About 600 Natural Scientists per year Mostly 18 years old Top ~1.5% of the population Already rather specialized – 4 A-levels Broadly divided 50:50 between.

• Everyone has some breadth• Enough specialization to think deeply and get very good at something• Strong group identity as scientists• Try before you buy• Specialization in non-school subjects• Produces successful researchers• Makes the subjects compete

• Students try to undermine it• Double subjects in the second year• Doesn’t link to other departments – engineering, maths, computer science• Sacrifice some content in your ultimate specialization

+

_

Page 11: About 600 Natural Scientists per year Mostly 18 years old Top ~1.5% of the population Already rather specialized – 4 A-levels Broadly divided 50:50 between.

Room for improvement?

• Remove double second year options?• Remove “easy” maths for biologists?• Fewer options in the first + second year?• Compulsory maths in the 2nd year?• Computer science options?• Better integration with other triposes? Cambridge very much makes “Scientists”, “Engineers” and “Mathematicians” .

Page 12: About 600 Natural Scientists per year Mostly 18 years old Top ~1.5% of the population Already rather specialized – 4 A-levels Broadly divided 50:50 between.

How much of their undergraduate education do

researchers actually use?

Page 13: About 600 Natural Scientists per year Mostly 18 years old Top ~1.5% of the population Already rather specialized – 4 A-levels Broadly divided 50:50 between.

1A Physics1A Maths

ElectromagnetismQuantum Mechanics1B MathsMaths MethodsThermodynamicsStatistical PhysicsClassical DynamicsExperimental MethodsWaves and Oscillations

ThermodynamicsRelativity and ElectromagnetismAdvanced Quantum MechanicsTheoretical Physics 1Theoretical Physics 2AstrophysicsSoft Matter physicsParticle physicsCondensed Matter Physics

Classical field theory (general relativity)Condensed matter field theoryQuantum field theoryGauge field theoryInformation theoryProjectPhase transitions + critical phenomena

Page 14: About 600 Natural Scientists per year Mostly 18 years old Top ~1.5% of the population Already rather specialized – 4 A-levels Broadly divided 50:50 between.

1A Physics1A Maths

ElectromagnetismQuantum Mechanics1B MathsMaths MethodsThermodynamicsStatistical PhysicsClassical DynamicsExperimental MethodsWaves and Oscillations

ThermodynamicsRelativity and ElectromagnetismAdvanced Quantum MechanicsTheoretical Physics 1Theoretical Physics 2AstrophysicsSoft Matter physicsParticle physicsCondensed Matter Physics

Classical field theory (general relativity)Condensed matter field theoryQuantum field theoryGauge field theoryInformation theoryProjectPhase transitions + critical phenomena

Page 15: About 600 Natural Scientists per year Mostly 18 years old Top ~1.5% of the population Already rather specialized – 4 A-levels Broadly divided 50:50 between.

Is this a communication

problem?BiologistChemistPhysicistGeologistMedic

BiologistChemistPhysicistGeologistMedic

Page 16: About 600 Natural Scientists per year Mostly 18 years old Top ~1.5% of the population Already rather specialized – 4 A-levels Broadly divided 50:50 between.

BiologistChemistPhysicistGeologistMedic

BiologistChemistPhysicistGeologistMedic

?

Page 17: About 600 Natural Scientists per year Mostly 18 years old Top ~1.5% of the population Already rather specialized – 4 A-levels Broadly divided 50:50 between.

Not everyone goes into research.

Page 18: About 600 Natural Scientists per year Mostly 18 years old Top ~1.5% of the population Already rather specialized – 4 A-levels Broadly divided 50:50 between.

Last Points

• Specialization + Breadth• Flexibility• Group identity• Its hard• I really enjoyed it

Page 19: About 600 Natural Scientists per year Mostly 18 years old Top ~1.5% of the population Already rather specialized – 4 A-levels Broadly divided 50:50 between.

“I have been working with biologists for about ten years and now I am beginning to understand their questions.”

Theoretical physicist

Page 20: About 600 Natural Scientists per year Mostly 18 years old Top ~1.5% of the population Already rather specialized – 4 A-levels Broadly divided 50:50 between.

“I am not a physicist, but I will try to explain this anyway, if I can.”

(Too often?) heard at conferences

“I am not a biologist, but ….”

Page 21: About 600 Natural Scientists per year Mostly 18 years old Top ~1.5% of the population Already rather specialized – 4 A-levels Broadly divided 50:50 between.

“Education is one of the most difficult areas when talking to politicians. Everyone has an (expertise) opinion about it because they have all gone to school themselves.”

Expert on educationPolitician(?)

Page 22: About 600 Natural Scientists per year Mostly 18 years old Top ~1.5% of the population Already rather specialized – 4 A-levels Broadly divided 50:50 between.

What should universities produce?

Engineers?

Scientists?

Research results...?

Page 23: About 600 Natural Scientists per year Mostly 18 years old Top ~1.5% of the population Already rather specialized – 4 A-levels Broadly divided 50:50 between.

Does cross-disciplinary research (biology/physics/medicine…) require cross-disciplinary/broad educational programs?

Page 24: About 600 Natural Scientists per year Mostly 18 years old Top ~1.5% of the population Already rather specialized – 4 A-levels Broadly divided 50:50 between.

Broad educational programs –

“Little knowledge about a lot of things”(Generalists)

Narrow educational programs –

“Expert on (a few) important things”(Experts)

Page 25: About 600 Natural Scientists per year Mostly 18 years old Top ~1.5% of the population Already rather specialized – 4 A-levels Broadly divided 50:50 between.

Could students with broader knowledge build bridges between researchers/groups from different disciplines?

Page 26: About 600 Natural Scientists per year Mostly 18 years old Top ~1.5% of the population Already rather specialized – 4 A-levels Broadly divided 50:50 between.

What do (biotech) industry need?

Page 27: About 600 Natural Scientists per year Mostly 18 years old Top ~1.5% of the population Already rather specialized – 4 A-levels Broadly divided 50:50 between.

Physics – BiologyEngineering - Medicine

Page 28: About 600 Natural Scientists per year Mostly 18 years old Top ~1.5% of the population Already rather specialized – 4 A-levels Broadly divided 50:50 between.

“Can I take this course?”

“No, this is a physics program!”

Do/should we encourage students to look into other disciplines?

Do we allow students to change their direction/interests during their education?

Page 29: About 600 Natural Scientists per year Mostly 18 years old Top ~1.5% of the population Already rather specialized – 4 A-levels Broadly divided 50:50 between.

Students:

What do you think about your educational programs?

Page 30: About 600 Natural Scientists per year Mostly 18 years old Top ~1.5% of the population Already rather specialized – 4 A-levels Broadly divided 50:50 between.

Researchers:

What do you think about your own (undergraduate) education?

Page 31: About 600 Natural Scientists per year Mostly 18 years old Top ~1.5% of the population Already rather specialized – 4 A-levels Broadly divided 50:50 between.

When to broaden/change your field(s) of research?

– when you start your PhD studies– as a post-doc– when you have become an

expert in your first field– don’t. Work with experts from

other fields.


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