The best aspects of this course included the material that covered a logical progression and that the models and examples were both interesting and applicable to real situations; also, students appreciated the opportunity to col aborate on the homework, that the instructor’s manner of lecturing made concepts easier to comprehend, and that the two halves of the class complimented each other well. Some students felt that switching instructors halfway through the year made it difficult to learn new concepts; the homework expected in the second half of the course required unreasonable algebraic manipulation; there were not enough opportunities to work with biological applications; the exams did not reflect the lectures or assignments, and that the lectures were a bit dry. One suggestion included posting videos/recordings of previous lectures. Another suggestion was for the instructors to incorporate more clicker questions into the lectures. Prospective students should know differential equations, have experience with MATLAB, and be willing to work in collaborative teams on the homework assignments.

35 This course would be perfect for prospective students who have a passion for mathematics. It combined math, physics, and chemistry and forced students to learn Matlab. Classes were taught with practical examples, and PowerPoints were available online. Both professors seemed to have done a commendable job teaching because concepts were thoroughly explained and presentations were well put-together. But the course material’s density outweighed the great professors. In addition, Dr. Beer put problems in the slideshows instead of solving them on the board, and there wasn’t a textbook to refer to. To improve this course, it was suggested by students that there be more structure, more resources like a textbook or online tools, more interactive lectures, and less homework. Prospective students should be ready to work hard and should have a background in physics and differential equations.

The best aspects of this course were the interesting subject matter and its potential applicability to real-world situations. Students reported appreciating and enjoying the applied work, but lamented the fact that such application was underemphasized and infrequent. Many students suggested caffeinating before long lectures on dry material, often read off of slides—a situation that more interactive seminars might help to remedy. Prospective students should have a strong background in differential equations, and should consider previewing class notes before lectures.