Biology 463 Portfolio: Gene Regulation in Development

Questions:

1. Take a moment to think about your work related to this course (in class and on your own time). What is one thing that that you learned and that stands out to you? Why does it stand out?

Usually when I finish a course, my head is filled to the brim with knowledge on the discourse. It isn’t so much the case with this course… To clarify, I have a understanding of gene regulation during development e.g epigenetics, transplantation experiments, XCI, methylation, etc. but I think I have a finer appreciation for the fact that this course devoted more time to discussing the logic and the thought process for experimental biology. 1) It’s become easier to read journal articles 2) The problem-solving approaches have strengthened my critical-thinking skills 3)  Just even taking the time to focus on figures and whether the results align with what I myself would expect from the experiment and 4) Judging the validity of a conclusion in a paper.

Coming into this course, I expected that it would be similar to BIOL 335: Introduction to Molecular Genetics, where mechanisms, critical genes, and whatnots during development would be memorized. I expected it to be information dense. I didn’t expect so much active engagement with the course material, or to read as many papers as we did!  Since taking this course, I find myself taking a step back and critically evaluating the paper better than I did in the past which I really appreciate as this is a skill that I can keep building on and take with me in my career.

2. Think about a skill or concept that you were not very confident about at the start of term. Has your confidence changed throughout the term? Why do you think is has or it has not changed?

Initially, I wasn’t very confident about speaking up during class e.g paper discussions, asking questions, contributing to the class, defending my answers, etc. as I felt I didn’t come in with as strong of a background as my peers. I was okay with keeping my thoughts in my head mostly because 1) I viewed myself as a viewer in the class instead of a participant and 2) If I was wrong about something, it would stay inside my head. Again, perhaps it was the luck of the draw with who ended up in the class, but the theme of active engagement kept persisting throughout the term. I was highly conscious of the way some of the students in the class interacted with the material, and I admired the way they took charge of their own learning and engaged in a topic that clearly interested them. So while I knew that it’s okay to be vocal about what needs clarification, to encourage your own curiosity, or to contribute to discussions because that’s how you learn and grow as a student and as an individual, I didn’t start to practice it until later in the term. More often than times, I would find myself wishing I had raised my hand and participated which is why I tried to make more of an effort to be actively engaged. Science and research is all about contribution and collaboration. I don’t think we would have made the significant strides in science today if we just bottled up our thoughts. And so while it may be a small victory for me, it’s a victory that I am happy with as I am a person who wants to make contributions in science.

3. Now, think about yourself as a learner and as a researcher (really, when we do research we are constantly learning, so the two overlap in this sense). What is one thing that you have learned about yourself? Do you think this “thing” is important? Why or why not?

I learned that I’m only decent at asking for help. I think this is important to address as asking for help is important for student engagement. When I really don’t understand something, I’ll flag Dr.Kalas down. However, if I feel as if it is a problem I can work out myself (but maybe it is not), I’ll keep it to myself. Sometimes this is good as struggling through a concept is what will retain it in my mind; however, I feel that sometimes… this is incredibly unproductive to me. So much learning and quicker clarity could have been achieved if I just reached out for help. I think this is important because as mentioned before, science is all about collaboration and contribution. This course focused on teamwork a majority of the time. Of course, there are multiple ways to contribute in a team, but I would have hate to be the one to let my team down by not being active with where I am in my learning and what I can contribute. If the roles were reversed, I wouldn’t have thought anything less of it as I would only ever want to see our team succeed.

1. I don’t think there is too big of a difference between an inconsequential situation and for an exam situation. The strategies build on each other. For an inconsequential situation, I try to cover all my bases in answering the question, but I am much more bold in my thought process. When I know there is nothing on the line, I feel comfortable in challenging my understanding of a subject material by wondering different questions, possibilities, and tinkering with ideas so I can truly understand. When answering a question on a midterm, I answer the question based off the knowledge and concepts acquired prior to the midterm. Usually, there is something about the question that is obvious, to me, that a certain concept should be mentioned. Therefore, my answer for a midterm question is usually much more structured and is less likely to be bold in its thought process.

2. An example of an inconsequential situation would be questions that arise during readings or during class. I am comfortable with bouncing ideas (as long as the idea is within reason) and thoughts with myself, and with other people. By doing this, I acquire a good understanding/idea of the importance of what is discussed and of the potential different school of thoughts! Understanding whether my ideas/thoughts had potential/merit allows me to transfer over the knowledge with confidence during an exam situation.

3. I think two of the biggest challenges for me with the upcoming midterm is 1) being comfortable with answering questions that asks me my opinion on how a mechanism (that remains to be elucidated) operates and 2) pushing past the “panic” mode that kicks in at the half-way point, and remind myself that I know and understand the material so there is nothing to panic about!