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 …
Author Archives: Christine Goedhart
Instructor Spotlight – Rachel Wilson
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 …
Instructor Strategies to Lower Student Stress and Anxiety
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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Peer Tutor Spotlight – Jessica Li
Hello! My name is Jessica Li and I just finished my third year as an Honours Animal Biology student. I was born and raised in Burnaby, BC, which is right next to Vancouver. Outside of academics, I’m also part of the Science Peer Academic Coaches (SPAC) and was awarded an NSERC USRA this year, so …
TA Spotlight – Nelly Saber
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 …
TA Spotlight – Taryn Scarff
I completed my BSc in Applied Biology at UBC in 2020 after working as a research associate and completing an undergraduate thesis with Dr. Andrew Trites in the UBC Marine Mammal Research Unit. In September 2020, I began my MSc at UBC in the Marine Mammal Research Unit studying the presence and prey consumption of …
Peer Tutor Spotlight – Ethel Wai
Hello! I’m Ethel and I’m a third-year biology student with a minor in English language. I’ve spent my whole life in Richmond, BC so you could say I’m pretty local. I was a peer tutor for BIOL 121 for the entire 2020/2021 term. Even though it was all online, it was such a fun experience! …
Teaching Spotlight – Using the Beaty Biodiversity Museum Collections to Engage Undergraduate Students in Science
Linda Jennings loves seeing undergraduates engage with the Beaty Biodiversity Museum collections. As a Herbarium Collection Curator at the Beaty, Linda is always looking for ways to engage with undergraduate students. “For me, the big thing is getting students to use the collections, and not having barriers.” Linda and her colleagues have been working with …
Peer Tutor Spotlight – Arell Bryski
I’m from Vancouver and I’m working towards a degree in Honours Biology. I just finished my first semester peer tutoring for BIOL 121. Outside of school, I’m involved in the Science Undergraduate Society, the UBC Genetics Club, and I’m excited to begin my co-op term this summer as a Clinical Research Assistant in the Hematology …
Supporting Self-advocacy of Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities often have an extra barrier of having to self-advocate to access the accommodations they are entitled to, leading to feelings of exclusion and reduced success and retention. This month’s Interesting Read provides practical actions that STEM instructors can take to support the self-advocacy of students with disabilities, encouraging their use of accommodations …
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TA Spotlight – Julian Nguyen
I did my undergrad degree at UBC, and in my third year, I applied to be a volunteer in Dr. Nelly Pante’s lab, who later became my graduate supervisor. In 2018, I successfully defended my Ph.D. thesis proposal and transferred to the Ph.D. in Zoology program. Our lab is located at the Life Science center …
TA Spotlight – Sree Vappala
I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Kizhakkedathu lab at the Centre for Blood Research. My research is on developing new therapeutics for thrombosis without the risk of bleeding. I have completed my integrated 5-year bachelor’s and master’s in biology from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata. At UBC, I have TAed …
Using the 4 Lenses of Critical Reflection to Uncover Your Teaching Assumptions
By Christine Goedhart “As with all aspects of science and education, new evidence will and should prompt us to revisit our assumptions, question our practices, and make new instructional choices that continuously improve teaching and learning.” (Cooper et al., 2021) We’re now a full year into remote teaching during a global pandemic. During this time …
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Teaching Spotlight – Creating Engaging and Real-world Case Studies for BIOL 155 Tutorials
This term in BIOL 155, instructors Agnes Lacombe and Irene Ballagh collaborated with TAs Lindsay Pallo and Lorenzo Lindo to develop engaging case studies for the weekly tutorial sessions. In addition to creating the case studies, Lindsay and Lorenzo also created pre-tutorial videos to help students develop some content knowledge of the case studies before …
Reconsidering the Share of a Think–Pair–Share
The utility of the “share” component in the popular Think-Pair-Share active learning strategy is explored in this month’s Interesting Read. In their consideration, the authors first identify and challenge common assumptions underlying its use, using evidence and recent research. They then offer modifications and alternatives to the share that help to promote equity and inclusion, …
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Peer Tutor Spotlight – Keylyn Filewich
My name is Keylyn Filewich and I am from Winnipeg, MB. I am currently finishing the last semester of my Biology degree here at UBC. I am a Peer tutor for BIOL 112 this term and enjoying every second of it! I am also a student athlete at UBC. I play on the women’s basketball …
TA Spotlight – Mary Fossey
Hello! My name is Mary Fossey and I am currently a TA for BIOL 204. I completed both my BSc (major in Biology and minor in Spanish) and my MSc in Kinesiology at UBC. This September, I started my PhD in Experimental Medicine under the supervision of Dr. Christopher West. Our lab is located at ICORD/VGH and investigates the effects of spinal cord injury on the heart and the lungs. My PhD is …
The Transformative Power of Science Identity
By Christine Goedhart I wasn’t very interested in science in high school, so as an undergraduate I put off taking a science course for as long as I could. Two years into my degree, I was finally told that I couldn’t move on until I completed a science course, so I enrolled in an introductory …
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Teaching Spotlight – How UBC Biology Faculty Motivate Students
What is something you do to motivate students? “I try to connect what we’re learning in class with what students are reading in the news and in other courses. With COVID-19 news, for example, I bring in charts or models that help connect what we’re learning in biomathematics or evolution to current affairs. I also …
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Instructor Spotlight – Chin Sun
Chin Sun is a lecturer at the Department of Zoology. Chin received his M.Sc. in Ecology and Behavioral Biology from the University of Minnesota and his Ph.D. in Botany and Zoology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he also worked as a teaching post-doc for a couple of years before coming to Canada. Aside from …