Hi I'm Dr Jamie Love, the "Merlin" behind Merlin Science. Over the years I have taught a wide variety of science subjects (from astronomy to zoology) to a wide variety of students (from thirteen-year-olds to thirty-somethings).
In 1990 I earned my PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Louisiana State University Medical Center (New Orleans) then moved to Scotland, a part of The United Kingdom.
The UK is home to the oldest, biggest and most distinguished distance-learning university in the world - The Open University. I spent several years studying its methods while working towards my diploma in Information Technology through The Open University. I also earned an MBA from Heriot-Watt University, taught entirely by distance learning. I know first hand the difficulties one encounters studying alone and what is needed to teach in a self-learning environment.
I was hired by the Department of Biological Sciences at Napier University, Edinburgh to edit and coordinate its distance learning programs on the Internet and via books. While working at Napier, I earned my Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching & Learning in Higher Education. To fulfill part of that program's requirements, I produced "A Web-based Self-study Program Teaching Evolution".
I started Merlin Science in 1995 - teaching chemistry over the Internet. At first, Merlin Science tried to be a completely online "campus" but it became clear that students were wasting a lot of time online. Chatrooms and other forms of "synchronous communications" do not provide an opportunity for serious inspection of new material.
I decided the best way to teach was to produce a "hypertextbook" - a series of webpages that could be read off the local hard drive using a web browser. Each hypertextbook is a self-paced, self-learning course specifically designed with the needs of distant learners in mind. The hypertextbooks were "beta tested" by hundreds of students and their feedback used to address problems - making each course a successful and enjoyable learning experience. (To learn more about how it all started, read "How I Created A Computerized, Self-Learning Science Course".)
Principles of Alchemy (Chemistry) was my first self-paced, self-learning "hypertextbook" and it quickly became popular among homeschoolers. Being an amateur astronomer, I created an astronomy website that describes the night sky each month. I received many questions and comments from curious folks asking for more information. This rapidly developed into an entire course and became Merlin's second hypertextbook. Hobbyists and others have enjoyed Principles of Astronomy since it was first published in 1998. My many years in Genetics (research and teaching) set the stage for my most advanced course, Principles of Genetics, which completed beta testing in 2005.
When I am relaxing, I enjoy bird watching, camping, fossil collecting, and stargazing.
I'm Dr Jamie Love, the "Merlin" behind Merlin Science. Over the years I have taught a wide variety of science subjects (from astronomy to zoology) to a wide variety of students (from thirteen-year-olds to thirty-somethings).
