April 16, 1920] 



SCIENCE 



383 



THE AIM OF A COURSE IN GENERAL ZOOLOGY 



It would be futile to list all the aims of a 

 course in general zoology since two stand out 

 in such bold relief that all others are cast into 

 the shadow. These two are as follows: 



1. To teach science which will give the 

 student the method to gather zoological infor- 

 mation and to use it. 



2. To direct him to gather such information 

 that will make him understand himself and 

 his environment which in the end will make 

 him review his moral and social responsi- 

 bilities, leading to an intelligent selection of 

 action in after life. 



SCIENCE 



These aims hinge on definitions and no 

 definition will have more influence on the 

 conduct of a course than the definition of 

 science. Those teachers who define science 

 as knowledge will have a different aim for 

 their course than those who define science as 

 method. While the students of the first class 

 will get much information pmnped into them 

 they will get little training in method. Sci- 

 ence, defined by Huxley as " common sense at 

 its best," or organized common sense, can be 

 analyzed as follows : 



2. We observe (experiment). 



3. We record our observations (experi- 

 ments) clearly described in an organized form 

 that others may repeat and confirm them. 



4. We draw conclusions, at the same time 

 discussing the results of others that have 

 come within our experience. 



Zoologists, botanists and even chemists feel 

 that they have so much information to impart 

 that they quite forget to teach science in the 

 elementary course. It fell to the lot of the 

 writer to get his first training in science out 

 of a course of history. A problem was set, 

 original sovirces of history were supplied, the 

 data recorded, and conclusions drawn. Be- 

 cause his science teachers held that science 

 was knowledge they made the imparting of 

 information the most important aim. 



OBSERVATION 



To see one must be trained to see. He who 

 is brought up on a diet of books alone is apt 



to be as " blind as a bat." As President Eliot 

 and others have repeatedly pointed out, biol- 

 ogy is preeminent among sciences in giving 

 training in observation. Training in obser- 

 vation, therefore, is an important aim in a 

 course in general zoology 



THE RECORD 



To record observations two methods of 

 description are available, descriptions in words 

 and descriptions by drawings. The former 

 includes logical arrangement of matter organ- 

 ization and the clear use of the English lan- 

 guage. Where the objects or processes to be 

 described are complicated, words alone are too 

 cumbersome, so the graphic method supplies 

 a short-hand method of accurate description. 

 Drawing is not an end in itself. It is not' 

 used as in art to express the impression of an 

 object, but to indicate relationships that can 

 not be briefly or clearly expressed in words. 

 Therefore, a course in general zoology has foi* 

 aims training in the use of the English lan- 

 guage, organization and drawing. 



THE CONCLUSION 



In the conclusion the organized data and 

 its relation to some logical principle is dis- 

 cussed; and inferences are drawn involving 

 cause and effect. The importance of the bio- 

 logical principle justifies the drudgery of 

 the work. The drawing of conclusions from 

 organized data is an aim in a course of gen- 

 eral zoology. 



INFORMATION 



To understand himself and his environ- 

 ment is an aim too abstract for a student to 

 grasp without the background that the course 

 is designed to give. This aim is not apparent 

 until the course has been completed. It is, 

 therefore, necessary to consider a series of 

 minor aims that come, to some extent, within 

 the previous experience of the student, such 

 as phases of morphology, physiology, be- 

 havior, evolution, heredity, etc. Since mor- 

 phology is so much easier to treat in the lab- 

 oratory, we are apt to center on it and so fail 

 to impress the student with its relation to the 

 real aim of the course. 



