Faculty Information: D. Hansen

Faculty Information: D. Hansen

Office: CAC 365
Phone: 486-0845
E-Mail: dhansen@alamo.edu 

Education:

MS. In Biology, Trinity University

Teaching Philosophy:

I am here to help you learn the material. I use whatever tools I think help. I think lecture, hands-on laboratory exercises and the computer are valuable education tools. I like to use analogies a lot. I have a dark sense of humor and am not afraid to use it.

I don’t take myself seriously but I do take what I do seriously. I think my online evaluations say it best, “Hansen has hard exams, he has great notes and is a good helpful teacher, and the class was fun”. If you are not enjoying a major’s class it may be a sign that you are not heading for the right career.

It was never a conscious choice. I actually started as a math major. I have alwaysbeen a Geek. As I stared taking upper level biology courses I slowly fell into it.

Recommendations for student success in my courses:

Learning is not a passive process. Most people can not pass this course by just sitting through the lectures and ramming the night before the exam.

Learning is an active process. You have to make your brain retain information. Normally your brain dumps information unless tis forced to retain it. There are three ways you can get your brain to remember all of this stuff at least until the end of the exam. The first way is to use multiple neural pathways to process the information: read it, right it, hear it, say it. This seems to help your brain store it properly. The second way is repetition. The second way is repetition. And lastly, it is hard to learn something that you don’t understand! Be sure it makes sense Study groups work! Take advantage of the BioSpot. 
Read the text and lab materials before each class. Use the learning objectives to focus in on which material is important. Be able to define the boldface words in the notes. This helps you to understand the lecture and lab.Read the text and lab materials before each class. Use the learning objectives to focus in on which material is important. Be able to define the boldface words in the notes. This helps you to understand the lecture and lab. I am basically lazy, if I point out a link to a website, it must be really good or I wouldn’t bother.
Using the objectives, class notes, and the textbook, rewrite your notes using objectives as an outline. Pace yourself. Don’t get behind. You need to study a little each day. You can’t do it in one or two days before the exam. Yell for help early if you are falling behind. I may have 90 to 120 students and may not notice that you are having a problem with the material. I have posted Office hours when I am available to help you. Please make use of this time, it’s yours to use.

What’s great about the Biology Department at San Antonio College: