Know your students–Context matters–Your grade book shows what you value–Practice like you play–How, not why-Structure courses for inclusion
I have developed my teaching philosophy as a set of six actionable values that direct my actions in the classroom to support student learning. I developed my values teaching human physiology courses, in discussions with teaching mentors, at Science Literacy Program journal clubs, and in a teaching book club I founded.
Know your students:
My courses begin with a pre-class survey to learn about my students so I can create a student-centered learning experience, provide relevant examples, and support intended learning objectives. Even in large classes, I find ways to use student names to create a sense of belonging in the classroom. These personalized learning experiences builds a positive learning community, motivates student learning, and help large classes feel smaller.
Context matters: I frame class discussions around “why do we care?” examples that highlight how content is practical for my students to leverage intrinsic interests and motivation. For example, when teaching pre-health professionals, I matched content with pertinent clinical examples. While coordinating laboratory sections for a physiology course, I implemented daily activities including practical implications for that lab’s content and created open-ended assignments to encourage students to find applications aligned with their interests. Using examples related to students’ careers interests, I provide opportunities for them to explore why they care.
Your grade book shows what you value: As many students are motivated by grades and work strategically to earn points needed for a grade they want, this value targets extrinsic motivations. Therefore, I align point values for assignments to communicate my intended learning objectives and the time, effort, and progress students should make through different assignments. I specifically make sure to award points for activities that have high learning value such as pre-class assignments and clear written communication, which I scaffold with grading rubrics.
Practice like you play: Students should practice interacting with content in the same way they will be assessed so summative evaluations are closer approximations of student learning. I provide in-class questions and practice exams as formative assessments that are similar to summative exams to ensure students practice with the same types of questions they will be assessed with. Similarly, after a book club reading of Assessment in the College Classroom (Dirks, Wenderoth, & Withers, 2014), a colleague and I mapped the cognitive levels of our physiology sequence exam questions with the cognitive levels of intended learning objectives ensuring our course practices were aligned to our assessments.
How, not why:
Many students explore scientific concepts by thinking about “why” they work. Though teleological arguments can aid in remembering processes and creating mental models, they are limited and may not help students think about science as a process of collecting evidence about the world. I want students to understand how scientists decide they know what they know and how mechanisms work instead of a rationale for why they work. This reinforces the study of science as a process and encourages students to approach the world scientifically. This value aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards (K-12 content standards) which differentiate between constructing explanations (why) and argument from evidence (how). While both practices are important, in my experience, instructors undervalue the “how we know”, and linking evidence to scientific claims, especially in introductory science courses.
Structure courses for inclusion:
I am passionate about improving equity and inclusion, especially in introductory college science where we continue to underserve minority students. I utilize four evidence-based strategies for improving equity in my teaching. 1) Structuring assessments for frequent feedback. I implement frequent, formative quizzes and distributed summative assessments with interleaved material which together is supported by the best evidence for improving student learning (Dulosky et al., 2013) and reducing achievement gaps for underserved students. 2) Structuring assignments through transparent design. As a first-generation college student, I remember not understanding how to successfully navigate college courses and assignments. The transparent design process ensures explicit communication of the learning objective, the skills needed, and the criteria for success for assignments and has been reported to increase academic confidence, employer-valued skills, a sense of belonging, and increased retention, especially for underserved populations (Winkelmes et al., 2016). 3) Structuring out-of-class learning. Instructors often focus on in-class learning even though 2/3 of student time is expected to be outside of class. To help students with fewer prior independent study skills, I implement transparent and graded pre-class assignments which contribute to improved studying habits and creating a culture in which students value class time for building on their pre-class learning (Eddy & Hogan 2014) – both of which match my experiences implementing structured pre-class assignments. 4) Structuring class time to engage all students. Designing my courses with group discussions, guided worksheets, and hands-on learning, instead of passive listening, engages more students in actively learning content and allows me to interact with more of the students and help them feel included in the course. Including active learning also increases student performance and reduces achievement gaps for underserved students (Haak et al., 2011).
The development of these values guides my teaching and will continue to help me grow to support student learning
Know your students–Context matters–Your grade book is your value system–Practice like you play–How, not why-Structure courses for inclusion