By Christine Goedhart Have you ever thought that you clearly explained something to your students, but were met with blank stares and looks of confusion? If so, then you were probably experiencing the Curse of Knowledge. The Curse of Knowledge happens when you know something so well that you no longer remember what it’s like …
Monthly Archives: March 2022
Teaching more by grading less (or differently)
Do you feel like you spend too much time grading? Do you want grading to better serve you and your students? This month’s Interesting Read provides a brief history of grading in higher education, describes different purposes of grading, and offers some ways to approach grading so that you can teach more by grading less …
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TA Spotlight – Gaurav Singh-Varma
My name is Gaurav and I’m originally from Princeton, New Jersey. I got my BSc undergraduate degree in Biology at UBC and I am currently a 2nd year Master’s student in the Department of Zoology. I’m working in the Claire Kremen lab, which is also known as the Working to Restore Connectivity and Sustainability (WoRCS) …
Peer Tutor Spotlight – Karanvir Dhillon
Hello! My name is Karanvir Dhillon and I am a 4th year Integrated Science (Physiology/Pharmacology) student at UBC. I have served as the peer tutor for BIOL112 for two years now, and have thoroughly enjoyed helping students. BIOL112 has been one of my favourite courses at UBC, as cell biology has always been fascinating to …
Peer Tutor Spotlight – Kyle Fernandez
Hi there! I’m Kyle Fernandez, and I am currently in the latter half of my third year in the Integrated Sciences program, integrating medical microbiology and public health. I live in Port Coquitlam, but I was born and raised (for 11 years!) in Davao City, Philippines. Currently, I am a peer tutor for BIOL 112, …
Boost Student Engagement, Learning, and Connection Through Storytelling
By Christine Goedhart I was sitting in the back of a large lecture classroom one day when something striking happened. We were about halfway into a 50-minute class session and I could tell that the students were getting a bit distracted—some students had picked up their phones and were scrolling under the table, some with …
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The Case for Student-Authored Scientist Spotlights
Scientist Spotlights have previously been shown to increase students’ relatability to and perception of scientists and enhance student science identity. This month’s Interesting Read makes the case for engaging students in the creation of Scientist Spotlights to leverage students’ authentic perspectives and unique cultural assets and increase the likelihood that the Scientist Spotlights produced will …
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Teaching Spotlight – Getting to Know Diverse Scientists in BIOL 336
The scientists featured in biology textbooks and courses tend to be males of European decent, but in reality, scientists are much more diverse, representing different ethnicities, sexes, genders, abilities, sexual orientations, and backgrounds. In BIOL 336, students get the chance to explore this diversity by engaging in a tutorial activity where they select an evolutionary …
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TA Spotlight – Sravya Paluri
I am from Bombay (Mumbai), India, and completed my undergraduate degree in Microbiology and Biochemisty at St. Xavier’s College in India and graduate degree in Biological Sciences at the University of Cologne in Germany. I am currently a PhD Candidate in the Auld lab in the Dept. of Zoology at UBC, where I’m studying the …