Arunabha Biswas

Excellence in Teaching Spotlight by the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Virginia Tech

The Excellence in Teaching Spotlight, presented by the center to approximately nine Virginia Tech faculty members each academic year, recognizes a faculty member's effective, engaged, and dynamic approaches and achievements as an educator.

Among the goals of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning are advancing experiential learning at Virginia Tech and improving student learning through research-based instructional practices and student-centered design. In the classroom, Biswas takes an improvisational approach to meet his students’ diverse needs: “Although I plan to complete certain topics in class, my teaching is nothing but improvisation. I do not have any particular teaching strategy. Different students learn differently, enjoy different things, have different expectations from a class, and I must cater to ALL of them. Some students like the philosophy behind a theory, some students like the puzzle in the theory, some students want to play with the theory in unusual ways, some students want to apply the theory to solve problems, etc. So, just like a jazz musician, I improvise something right there in class that is suitable for that very moment, for that very student(s). This approach preserves and nurtures the individual strengths of each student.”

According to Biswas, “teaching and learning must be full of fun, laughter, and enjoyment.” He explained that he often tells “thought provoking jokes and memorable analogies to explain mathematical theories.” Biswas believes that his light-hearted approach to teaching “not only helps students to better understand and remember things, but also to use those mathematical ideas in exams, in subsequent courses, and research projects.” Ultimately, Biswas aims to “keep students captivated” and “make them eager to come in the next class with new excitement.”

Biswas’ former student, Sarah Bradshaw, appreciated Biswas’ use of stories to teach mathematics: “My favorite part of the class was how every topic came with a story. Professor Biswas constantly brought history and practical application to the classroom and was quick to explain the mathematicians behind the equations we were using and ways they could apply to different fields. As a mechanical engineer this helped me stay engaged and I was always eager to come to class because unlike my other math classes, I felt like I was gaining skills that I could take forward with me into my career.”

Although Biswas takes an improvisational approach in the classroom, his current colleague, Shu-Ming Sun, observed that Biswas’ class materials “were well organized” and that he presents the material “in a clear and effective manner.” 

Another former student, Lindy Hearne, described Biswas as a teacher who is willing to support and guide students outside the classroom: “I notice that if I see him on campus, he's usually engaged in conversations with his current and former students. Dr Biswas has become a resource giving me pointers and a big picture view of policy which helps me navigate academia in a different country.”

Biswas provided the following advice for new college teachers: “Do not even try to be a good teacher. This thought takes away the fear to perform, the fear of not being a good teacher, and you become a spontaneous teacher. Enjoy whatever you do in teaching, be the teacher with whom you want to take all your classes if you were put in a Time Machine and allowed to go back in your student life. If you enjoy your own teaching, there is high chance your students would enjoy your teaching too.”