ABSTRACT
Prerequisites provide the structure for a curriculum, so prerequisites shape the way students progress through these courses. Prerequisites can serve many purposes in structuring a curriculum. A graduation requirement might provide options for mathematics, depending upon student interests. Rather than have monolithic requirements for all computing students, faculty might consider using prerequisites to help students tailor their mathematics backgrounds to their areas of interests. The biology faculty at Grinnell College believe that the primary goal of the introductory biology course should be to give students significant insight about what it means to be a biologist. From this perspective, introductory biology starts the process of becoming a biologist, including research and publication. As noted in the Subsequent Reflections, prerequisites can help shape the nature of the students enrolled within a course–particularly at the introductory level. Tailoring prerequisites to different populations for different sections of a course may yield course sections that support students with varying needs and backgrounds.
