Arindam Basu is an Assistant Professor at Penn State Brandywine, where he teaches Biology courses using Cerego.


Q&A

Cerego: How would you describe the students on your campus? 

Arindam Basu: Most of my students are freshmen or sophomores, and the majority of them hold jobs or actively participate in sports.

Cerego: What are some of the teaching and learning challenges you face as an instructor?

AB: The major challenge is for students to adapt to studying at the college level, especially when it comes to Biology. Most students are used to getting a study guide for exams and studying everything (or most of the material). It can be very overwhelming and intimidating to approach learning that way.

Cerego: How have you tried to address these challenges in the past?

AB: I discuss different study techniques and tools that are available freely on the internet. It is important for them to understand that one particular style or method might suit one but not necessarily the other.

I have also recommended (in person and on my syllabus) to read the chapter before the class. But very few students do that.

Cerego: What has consistently come up short for you regarding the learning solutions you have tried?

AB: Normally, I think the students do poorly on the exams and quizzes because most of them do not study the material on a regular basis. One of the major shortcomings during exams is understanding the question properly before answering. 

Cerego: What attracted you to Cerego?

AB: Cerego’s ability to remind you that your memories are fading and need to be refreshed is probably one of the best features. From the students perspective, I think it was very convenient that Cerego has a mobile app and so the students need not be in front of a computer to go over the study materials. Also, it is not just definitions of terms and words. It is definitely more than flashcards.

Cerego: What did you and your students like most about Cerego?

AB: Most of the students felt that it was helpful. For me, I liked the graphics interface of each 'memory' and the database of content already generated by Cerego as Cerego Courseware. Both were super helpful for me.

For students, I think having the mobile app was the most attractive feature.

 

 

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“I think it was very convenient that Cerego has a mobile app and so the students need not be in front of a computer to go over the study materials.

- Assistant Professor at Penn State Brandywine

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