Advancing Student’s Learning of Science Topics

The interplay between molecules, and the chemical reactions behind everyday processes is the driving force of life and what makes the biochemical and biomedical sciences stand out from other disciplines. The wealth of pathways that regulate cellular responses at the molecular level is a fascinating but sometimes rather complex subject to teach. In topic-heavy courses, such as microbiology or biochemistry, students tend to feel overwhelmed by the amount of information they receive in traditional lectures. They often find it difficult to go beyond memorization and fully grasp the scientific impact behind many of the pathways discussed in class. My challenge as a teacher is to allow students to view science courses as more than just a list of concepts, reactions and pathways to be memorized. Taking into consideration that many science courses often do require memory and retention of many concepts, it is important for me to construct an effective learning environment that will make student's learning of such concepts much more effortless. If students, for example, visualize the steps governing the Krebs cycle as a pathway where carbon and electron transfer occurs in a logical and conserved manner, they are better enabled to retain the complicated names behind all the enzymes and products rather than just simply memorizing a paragraph or a list of concepts that merely highlight the major steps.

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See more on courses I can teach and my syllabi

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Teaching Style

As an instructor, my priority is promoting student participation in class. Students are more receptive if they are highly involved in their own learning therefore I engage students in a discussion-based format for in-class lectures (see sample lesson). When I worked as a teaching assistant for the course Fundamentals of Biochemistry (I led recitation sessions for ~12 students, mostly juniors and seniors), I did this by asking students to prepare for class by reading sections on the topic to be discussed and answering worksheets or review sheets I prepared for them prior to the lecture. I posted these online prior to the class meeting and once the recitation session started and the topic was introduced, I would begin prompting students regarding the class material and, at the same time, got a sense of how the students were grasping the major concepts. In addition, for a recitation session, I had students form small groups and answer these fill-in review sheets. This facilitated in-class discussion and helped me assess the student’s knowledge of that day’s topic. Several students stated in evaluations that these review worksheets were helpful since it "presented the material in a new way" (See student feedback). For exam review sessions I also prepared worksheets for students to prepare themselves for the exam.

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See review sheets and worksheets here. 

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As an adjunct professor for non-majors Biology (bi-weekly class of ~28 students, mostly freshmen and sophomores), I also employed worksheets as well as several active learning techniques. Most worksheets I employed in my class I obtained from online teaching resources or created by me with resources from Pearson Education. Students stated that worksheets helped them contextualize the day’s material. Our class would begin with a 5-minute 1 or 2-question quiz on material from the last class which offered the students the chance to get extra credit for the class and provided an opportunity to go over previous material and or clarify any misunderstandings. This 5-minute question also incentivized students to arrive to class on time which was a challenge throughout the semester. As the class session progresses I engage interactively with my students through questions and provide a mini lecture before asking them to work in groups on a worksheet expanding on the day’s lesson. Students work on these while I circulate the classroom clarifying questions or guiding them along the worksheet. Towards the end of class I discuss the worksheet with the students, asking for volunteers to answer the questions for the rest of the class.

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In-class activities I employed for my Biology class also included several hands-on exercises and demonstrations (such as an in-class DNA extraction). While mostly geared towards visual learners, I implemented paper models during discussions of different aspects of genetics and cell biology (Punnet squares, Protein production, Photosynthesis) to help students to better visualize concepts and processes that occur at the genetic and molecular level. Students seemed to prefer these hands-on activities, and revealed their desire for me to include more of these as opposed to lecture-style classes.

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See Student Evaluations here.

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I also employed pre-lecture assignments which were 1 or 2 questions that students would choose from a question bank and hand in before class. They were related to the topic to be discussed in class. I found that while some students did not find these useful (see student feedback), others would put in a lot of time and detail to their answers, even answering more questions than needed. It was a way I believe for students to at least glance at the day’s material so that newly introduced concepts would not be completely foreign to them. In the future I plan on changing these to defining concepts instead of answering questions so that students build up their science vocabulary.

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A challenge I have encountered as a Biology instructor is motivating students to hand in assignments on time. Multiple pre-lecture assignments and even class projects were handed in late and I allowed this to prevent students from losing motivation to complete the assignments. To overcome this, I am planning to have my students put together a portfolio where they will gather their daily worksheets and pre-lecture assignments. This portfolio will be handed in and graded twice during the semester. This way if they do not hand in materials on time they still have an opportunity to get partial credit for them if they include them in the portfolio at the time the portfolio is graded.

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Additional teaching materials

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Technology in the Classroom

Making science lectures more dynamic is my day to day challenge. I address this by making use of the wide array of technology tools available for teaching. During a lecture, I make sure I employ multimedia files in class as teaching device to help students reach a better understanding of abstract concepts or processes. There is a variety of online videos and animations that help students gain a more concrete image of molecular processes. During discussion of the topic of DNA to protein synthesis I showed a 3D animation of DNA transcription, translation and protein synthesis followed by discussion of key steps. For processes that require several steps as well as proteins and molecular rearrangements, it is helpful for students, to see videos or animations of these mechanisms. It allows them to better understand how the proteins interact with each other at each step. Specifically, for studying protein structure and conformational changes, it is so much better if they can see these macromolecules and their tertiary structure in 3D form. In biochemistry, for example, function is tied to structure, to better grasp the functional capabilities of these machines, students must be able to fully immerse themselves in the intricacies of the protein conformations.

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For my biology course, I make use of videos and animations from YouTube, as well as diagrams and short animations to better explain cellular processes such as cell division and organelle functions. I have incorporated these into my power point presentations or emailed my students links to videos and animations as a supplement to their studies. On more than one occasion, I started or finished the lecture portion of the class with an interesting animation to spark curiosity about the day’s lesson.

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For future lessons, I plan to incorporate more technology into my classroom. Ways in which I can do this include: encouraging students to create their own class blog at the beginning of the semester where they will interact with each other and, for example, discuss scientific articles as a preamble for a class meeting. Also, making use of course management websites would be another way to make class more dynamic. This way I can organize forums where students can participate in out-of-class assignments and activities, as well as submit any work to be graded. I have begun to do this gradually through a welcome forum before class begins so students introduce themselves to their peers and at the same time become familiar with the course website.

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Embracing Diversity and Inclusivity

The multiplicity of learning styles within a class and the students’ unique life experiences can greatly influence the way they acquire knowledge and have a huge impact on how they approach everyday challenges in research. As an instructor, I plan to inspire students to take an active part in class discussions, and, at the same time, be able to achieve their learning objectives and better interpret information. In addition, promoting cooperation and integration within students in my classroom I believe is the key for their success. Learning cannot occur in an environment where students feel isolated, a classroom where every student feels valued and included leads to more receptive students that feel comfortable sharing their approaches to problem solving.

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For more on diversity and inclusion see my Diversity Statement.

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Lab Mentoring

While mentoring in laboratory settings, my approach is to always foster independence as well as adaptability. Undergrads whom I have mentored (a Duke University Senior and a freshman from University of Puerto Rico), have come to understand that Science is not as straightforward in practice as it is in theory. If the outcome of an experiment is not the one anticipated, I have them think through optimization steps and reasons as to why it did not go as expected before I provide my own suggestions. I have found that this approach allows them to think independently about the protocols employed and even encourages them to search out new ways to approach the questions we are trying to answer. Prior to starting any ‘wet-lab’ experiments, I assess the student’s technical skills as well as demonstrate for them basic protocols and techniques in the lab. It helps the students familiarize themselves with the lab environment and practices. I encourage reading of primary literature in order for them to understand the basic science behind every experiment, and I foster an environment of timeliness, effective time management and excellent record-keeping, all skills the students will need throughout their future careers. It is also critical for me that students feel included in the lab. I make sure they understand that research should not be rushed and encourage them to ask any questions they might have about the day’s work. As a mentor, I strive to make the lab a comfortable environment where their input for future experiments is valued as well. This allows students to view their research as their own. A sense of ownership with their individual or shared projects drives the students to do their best and realize they have more than just a helper role in lab.