University Daliv Kansan / Thursday, March 7. 1991
9
Biology prof stretches teaching limits
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Students play Bio Jeopardy and learn cell structure, too
Michael Gaines, professor of systematics and ecology, explains mitosis to a Biology 104 class.
By Nedra Beth Randolph
Kansan staff writer
The classroom is a stage for Michael Gaines.
"I'm the king of educational sleaze," he said. "I try all the tricks in the book to get the students interested in biology."
"Some people would say that it's cheap entertainment, in other words, crass entertainment. I would argue with that. What your doing is delivering biology in a way that students find interesting."
Gaines, professor of systematics and ecology, uses everything from a Jebo leapard game show to classify by a make-believe Charles Darwin.
"We have this other game called Spin the Sperm, where we have this big sperm on a board," he said. "The student comes up and spins it and then it lands on a genetics problem and they have to work it out in front of the class. The students get a kick out of it.
"Some people would say that it's cheap entertainment, in other words, crass entertainment. I would argue with that. What you're doing is delivering biology in a way that students find interesting."
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On the opening day of class, Gaines glided into the auditorium under a spotlight's glare. He was attired entirely in black.
His students call it education with a twist of theatrics.
Novel teaching methods
"It's drama," Gaines said. "The drama of biology is really important to me. You want to keep the students interested, and some people say that's entertainment. I don't really call it entertainment."
- Michael Gaines professor of systematics and ecology
Sabrina Simpson, Kansas City, Mo., freshman, she said thought Gaines was one of the best teachers she had ever had.
"He makes biology, which sometimes can be boring, a lot of fun, and I learn a lot," she said. "I think it's a really unique style of teaching. He's really personable to the students; he knows everybody by name."
Gaines takes snapshots of the more than 700 students. He studies the pictures until he memorizes the students' names.
"It's really effective in removing the anonymity of the students," he said. "It creates the illusion of a small classroom. You really can create an intimate atmosphere in Hoch Auditorium, which sounds like a contradiction, but it can work."
He has been developing his theatrical teaching technique since he started teaching biology at the University of Kansas 21 years ago.
"I feel it's my responsibility to challenge the students and get them involved in biology. Gaines said. He said that it is to make biology relevant to them."
Ron Willis, professor of theater and film, posed as Charles Darwin during the birthday celebration for Gaines' class last year.
Each year, Gaines throws a party to celebrate Charles Darwin's birthday. He produces an extravaganza for students and serves cake to everyone.
'Everything Mike does in class
creates a living presence about the subject matter in the minds of the students." Willis said.
"He does things to catch the students attention. It's communication through action."
Class often takes on a theatrical feel for Gaines, an amateur actor who played a town beggar in a local production of "Inherit the Wind."
"Teaching is like being on stage at the time," he said. "I think it's really theater. Everything has to be exag-gerated."
Although Gaines' teaching style is eccentric, it is not unheard of in the educational arena. Robert Hohn, professor of educational psychology, said teaching with theatrics was effective when used properly.
"The students can be focusing on the dramatics rather than the actual subject matter," he said. "But it can be good and effective when it attracts the students' attention and when it interests and motivates the students."
"In Mike's case, the dramatics create enthusiasm, which shows he has interest in the material. It works for him."
Gaines said he was aware of the fine line between acting and teaching.
"Just because you are the theatrical does not mean you're not demanding," he said. "You must have content to have theatres."
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Biology theme music
Gaines even plays music before each lecture to set the mood for the class, which this semester meets in a 20.a.m. each Tuesday and Thursday.
"Generally, the music that I play before class is connected to the theme, a biological theme, that I cover that day," he said. "The thing is very, very, and they try to figure out what the musical connection is to the lecture."
His two graduate assistants bring out a 4-feet-by-4-feet game board with three categories of biological materials, randomly pick a student to play.
One of the most popular segments of Gaines' class is the Bio Jeopardy game show, which is at 8:50 a.m. every Tuesday.
Mary McMullen-Light, graduate teaching assistant, worked alongside Gaines last summer in a high school enrichment program at KU.
Gaines played "Tiny Bubbles" by Don Ho when the class was studying respiration. When the lecture focused on proteins, he played "Chewburtons," and Jimmy Buffet and the theme music from "Hair." Hair is made of protein.
"He strikes a perfect balance between instruction and entertainment. He's basically a risk-taker." He never afraid to try anything new."
The contestant must answer the question by the end of a chorus from the television show's theme music. If the question is answered correctly, the contestant could win a free, large pizza from Mazto's, 2630 Loa Sta.
The prizes are really quite good.
Game show learning
Michael S. Gaines
B. S. in zoology from Tulane University, 1964; Ph.D. in ecology from Indiana University, 1970; Started teaching at KU in 1970
Born: January 18, 1943 Education:
Favorite musical group:
Rolling Stones
Last book read:
The Broken Chord by
Michael Dorris
the subject matter
Gaines' bottom line on being a good teacher:
1. Care about the students
2. Be enthusiastic about
3. Be organized and knowledgable about the subject matter
"If you care about the students, number one, then number two and three come naturally."
being a good teacher:
1. Care about the students
so the students are willing to take chances and come up in front of a group of 700 people, which does take some guts," Gaines said.
"The effect you can have as a teacher can be really profound. You don't realize until a student comes back to you 10 years later and tells you that you made a difference," he said. "That's what I'm trying to do—I'm really trying to make a difference."
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