Autophagy: research topic, painting, poem, dance

E ffective teachers do no simply present information for students to learn by rote for a good grade. Rather, they provide an environment in which students can engage with course material and both learn and interpret it for their own interest and goals. With this in mind, I have spent a considerable amount of time developing an active learning format for my introductory biology course, including the presentation of information as art to address the different learning styles and needs of my students. However, I do not want to discuss my teaching methods per se, but rather consider the fundamental purpose of a seminar and describe how I have incorporated art to help achieve that purpose. I am sure that many scientists are skeptical of the entire concept— merging science and art to achieve an actual learning goal—but I think I can allay such doubts with a simple anecdote: If you do not see an obvious purpose behind the inclusion of music in a research presentation, consider the impact that such an approach might have on a blind student in the audience, as occurred with one of my research seminars. ...................................................... “If you do not see an obvious purpose behind the inclusion of music in a research presentation, consider [. . .] a blind student in the audience. . .” ......................................................