I am currently continuing my work with Dr. Reid Schwebach
and a mixed group of grad, undergrad, and post-grad students on a supplementary
text for BIOL 213, Cell Structure and Function. In an attempt to bridge the gap
between well-versed biology students and students who need refreshers, this
book will act as a “Spark Notes” with study guides, study activities and tips, illustrations,
and online resources. In order to function most effectively on this project, I
was trained as a Learning Assistant (LA) within the College of Science and also
perform typical LA duties such as review sessions and tutoring. I use the
information I gather from these tasks to inform my writing and activity
development.
A
large portion of what I do involves interacting with students. Often times I
engage students in discussion for feedback on subjects covered in lecture and I
hold office hours for students to ask me questions in person. Every few weeks,
I co-lead review sessions with the other learning assistants and test the
content we have developed. Additionally, my team and I are often developing
outlines on the many chapters we cover, subsequently developing critical
questions and other activities.
One
thing I will discover this week is students’ feedback on LA events of last
semester. This information is super helpful in that it helps us understand what
worked for students and what did not. We can translate this to book content by
creating study activities and tips based around the most effective and
well-liked teaching methods.
Last
semester was all about gathering data and content from students and lecture.
This semester’s goal is to solidify chapters and get the book to a state it can
be edited and eventually published by this summer. In order to meet this goal,
we intend to create at least one example chapter for each test and give extra
credit to students who use the chapters and give us written feedback on the
content.
One
of my undergraduate goals is to become familiar with teaching a wide range of
age groups from elementary students to adults. As a Conservation Studies major,
I believe that education is one of the best ways to preserve natural resources
and our ecosystems. This research position is allowing me to dive deep into how
college level students and adults learn most effectively in an academic
setting. I hope to be able to apply this to future careers, whether conducting
research, working at a nature preserve, or working at a university.
