Connecting you to what's happening in the UBC Biology Program
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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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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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 …
BIOL140 students work together in long-term groups throughout the term, so effective teamwork is an important component of students’ experience and success. To help groups develop shared expectations and set the foundation for how group members will interact and engage with one another, one of the first group assignments is to create a Group Contract. …
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Looking for ways to help students develop teamwork skills in your course? This month’s Interesting Read offers suggestions for designing group work projects to help students learn how to operate effectively in a group. Citation: Halonen, J.S. & Dunn, D.S. (2021). Why and How to Teach Teamwork. Chronicle of Higher Education, November 15. https://www-chronicle-com.eu1.proxy.openathens.net/article/why-and-how-to-teach-teamwork You …
By Christine Goedhart Pandemic teaching was only supposed to last a few months, but we’re now almost two years in, and this term seems to be particularly difficult. The years-long accumulation of extra work and stress has led many faculty to experience extreme exhaustion and negative impacts on their physical and mental health, motivation, and …
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By Christine Goedhart Being sexually or gender diverse in a heteronormative society can be difficult, and 2SLGBTQIA+ students face unique challenges both inside and outside of the classroom, such as negative stereotypes, discrimination, lack of visible role models, incompatible structures, and unsafe spaces. It’s no surprise then, that students who identify as LGBTQ+ are more …
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Biology both impacts and is impacted by society, but is commonly taught in a “value free” way that separates science from societal issues. In this month’s Interesting Read, the authors describe how they linked biological concepts to societal issues through the teaching of ideological awareness in an introductory biology course. While students who experienced the …
Students in Rachel Wilson’s BIOL 230 (Fundamentals of Ecology) course recently went to Totem Plant Science Field Station on the UBC campus to look for isopods and contribute to an ongoing long-term experiment dating back to 2009. Rachel was especially excited to return to the site this term after a pandemic-caused hiatus. “This trip was …
Hi! I’m Maisie and my pronouns are She/Her. I am from Maine, on the Northeast coast of the United States, and I completed my BS in Chemistry in 2020 at the University of Maine. As an undergraduate, I worked on a wide variety of research projects such as optimizing cellulose-based bioplastics, helping study anti-biotic resistance …
Jack is a PhD candidate in the Wyatt lab at the Vancouver Prostate Centre, a joint UBC/VCH research facility located on the Vancouver General Hospital campus. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of British Columbia and initially enrolled in the Master of Science program in the faculty of Genome Science and …
By Christine Goedhart Being able to ask good questions is particularly important in science, because good science begins with good questions. But when you think of someone asking a question in a classroom, who do you picture? If the classroom is like a typical science classroom, it is probably the instructor who is asking the …
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The midpoint of a course is a great time to ask students for feedback. It is far enough into the term where students are able to draw upon their experience to give meaningful feedback, and there’s also time to make changes based on that feedback. Here are some resources to help you get started: Templates …
Do you want your students to “pay attention” in class? This month’s Interesting Read presents an evidence-based framework for understanding attention in the classroom and offers ways that instructors can design teaching strategies to better guide students’ attention, leading to improved learning. Citation: Keller, A.S., Davidesco, I., & Tanner, K.D. (2020). Attention Matters: How Orchestrating …
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Celeste Leander recently took students in BIOL 342 (Integrative Biology Laboratory) to Salish Creek in Pacific Spirit Park to measure abiotic variables at two sites along an active salmon stream. Part of the stream had been rehabilitated by the City of Vancouver (site 1), while the rest of the stream had not (site 2). To …
I’m currently a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Zoology, co-supervised by Dr. Eric Taylor and Dr. Jeffrey Richards. I study freshwater adaptation in a euryhaline fish, prickly sculpin, by focusing on ion regulation in fish from habitats that vary in the distance to the sea. I got my bachelor’s degree from Tianjin Agriculture University, …
By Christine Goedhart There’s something special that happens when students start asking questions, and it shows up in their body language. They perk up, lean in, look intently, and you can almost see the wheels turning in their heads as they struggle to make sense of what is eluding them. They’re ripe for learning. Humans …
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Talking about access needs creates a more inclusive space and ensures that all individuals have access to a given learning environment. This month’s Interesting Read introduces the concept of ‘access talk’ and provides concrete strategies that STEM educators can use to normalize the use of access needs, improving accessibility and disrupting ableism in academic spaces. …
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Hi, I’m Amy, a big fan of genetics, conservation, and fishy science! I graduated from University of Victoria with a B.Sc. in Biology in 2019. Currently, I’m a master’s student with Dr. Eric B. Taylor, working with the great team at the Taylor Lab. My research is on “Species and Speciation in Western North American …
What question do you have about this pencil? This simple question serves as a powerful prompt that Celeste Leander uses to get students to start asking and exploring different types of questions in her course. “I originally developed this activity for use in a large lecture experience during Jump Start and I’ve since modified it …
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By Christine Goedhart When teaching, have you ever welcomed students at the beginning of class, provided instructions for doing an activity, shared a personal story, offered study tips, or explained the ‘why’ behind your teaching decision? If so, then you were using Instructor Talk. Instructor Talk is the term used to describe the things you …
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First impressions are powerful, and the thoughts, feelings and expectations that students form about your course during the first day will follow them throughout the term. This month’s Interesting Read is a practical advice guide that offers key principles, implementation strategies, and resources to help you make the first day as effective as possible. Citation: …
Jaclyn Dee recently introduced Walking Office Hours into her BIOL 209 course as a way to connect with students and extend student learning beyond the classroom. “In addition to getting students out of the classroom to learn in the ‘real world’ and tell stories, Walking Office Hours are an ‘ask me anything’ time. I find …
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By Christine Goedhart There’s a lot to do when getting ready to teach a course. It can be overwhelming to stay on top of everything, make sure nothing is forgotten, and get it all done before you enter class on that first day. To help you stay organized, the following checklist lays out important items …
Continue reading “24 Ways To Get Ready For The Term: A Checklist”
Charissa Fung, Lecturer in the Department of Zoology, shares her experience with using CLAS (Collaborative Annotation Learning System) to teach her BIOL 204 & 205 organismal lab courses in a remote format and offers advice for new users of CLAS. What motivated you to use CLAS? I was inspired by Brett Couch and his enthusiasm …
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Are you looking for ways to make your teaching more inclusive? This month’s Interesting Read is a practical advice guide that offers key principles, implementation strategies, and resources for inclusive teaching and course design. You can also find UBC-specific tips and resources for inclusive teaching at the new Inclusive Teaching Resources for UBC Science Instructors …
Do you want to gain insight into students’ thought processes as they work through course content? Are you looking for a way for students to interact with you and their peers while engaging with visual and audio media (e.g., figures from papers, demonstration material from labs, videos of interviews on science topics, news reports)? Would …
I have a BSc in Biology from Queen’s University (2014) and a MSc in Botany from UBC (2017). My research focused on elevational ranges of plants, with particular interest in how ranges are shifting in response to climate change. Currently, I am a lecturer in Zoology and Botany at UBC. I have primarily been involved …
Students are reporting high levels of stress and anxiety, which can affect their motivation, academic performance and quality of life. This month’s interesting read provides evidence-based strategies instructors can use to lower student stress and anxiety, while also building an inclusive, equitable, and empowering classroom environment. Hsu, J.L., Goldsmith, G.R. (2021). Instructor Strategies to Alleviate …
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I completed my Bachelor of Science at UBC in Cell Biology and Genetics. I am currently a PhD candidate in Dr. Timothy Kieffer’s lab in the Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, where I completed my Science Co-op placement as an undergraduate. My research involves studying different factors that affect the development of human embryonic …