Practice and thoughts on general course development of Mycology in higher education

Abstract:

Fungi are largely associated with human life. As an important branch of life sciences, Mycology should be of the same importance as Zoology and Botany that study animal and plants, respectively, in the liberal arts education in colleges and universities. However, it is often neglected, and general courses related to Mycology have not been well developed in most colleges and universities in China. As a result, the public and the government managers have lacked basic understanding about this group of organisms for a long time. Accordingly, the potential utilization of fungi in the national economy and development has not been fully explored, and the importance of fungi in biodiversity conservation and environment protection has also not been fully presented in China. This study discussed the teaching contents, approaches, and effectiveness concerning the general course development of Mycology, based on the practical experience in Yangzhou University, Zhejiang University, and Jilin Agricultural University, aiming to promote and popularize Mycology as a general course in the liberal arts education system in colleges and universities.

Key words:higher education;liberal arts education;undergraduate education;course development;teaching reform