Kelly Elizabeth Robinson

What I have learned about teaching is that the process is an ever-evolving art and science. We research new methods of teaching; we get students who push us to teach in novel ways; and we continue to learn and modify every day. My goal as an instructor is to provide my students an effective learning environment in which they are comfortable yet challenged. I fell in love with teaching over the course of my master’s and doctorate degrees, where I was fortunate enough to teach a variety of biological courses, as well as co-create and instruct an undergraduate field ecology course. And because of these experiences, and background as a multidisciplinary biologist, I feel have the breadth to teach a wide range of courses, including but not limited to human physiology, introductory biology and other upper division courses like comparative anatomy, vertebrate zoology (including mammalogy and herpetology) and toxinology/toxicology. I would be interested in developing any of these courses that don’t exist as they would benefit the biomedical and zoology students. My teaching experiences have exposed me to many types of students and modes of instruction, all of which have helped me develop my own teaching principles that I adhere to in the classroom.

 

(1) Teach all types of learners by implementing active and cooperative learning strategies. One of the most challenging courses I have taught was an introductory biology course for non-majors. Although the content wasn’t challenging, getting the students to care and engage with the material was another story. I want students to get involved and become excited about biology and I do this by incorporating active learning strategies into every course I teach. One way I incorporate active learning is by posing multiple “think-pair-share” discussions throughout lectures where students get together in small groups to discuss a question and then share their thoughts with the class (Sumarni, 2016). I believe interrupting lecture with group discussions and implementing cooperative learning strategies gives students time to ask for clarifications, teach their peers, and to engage with the material in a way that makes them apply their knowledge to broader concepts (Prahl, 2017). I use this approach as a TA for upper division evolution discussion sections. I had students break into groups to discuss a topic and then would have each group present this material to their classmates, which greatly reinforced their own learning. Additionally, I emphasize the importance of both field and lab experiences for undergraduates as a way to engage students. Getting hands-on experience with different organisms, research techniques, and data collection approaches in different settings, enables students to learn how science is done rather than hearing about it in a long lecture. In the organismal, anatomy and physiology courses I have taught, nothing seems to help students learn more than getting to touch and interact with the various organisms. For example, as a TA for human anatomy and physiology courses, we dissect human cadavers, cats, and cow organs so students can gain actual experience with the terms and concepts they’re learning. It is evident that the opportunity for students to see and touch an organism in reinforced the information they were learning from lecture by bringing more energy and excitement into the classroom (or field) and giving them a memorable, multisensory experience.

 

(2) Understand and explore the diverse backgrounds student bring to the classroom. In the last 12 years I have had the opportunity to work at or attend five universities (one of which is a Hispanic-Serving Institute). These opportunities have provided me the experience to work with students and people from all different ethnic, socioeconomic, age and ability backgrounds. Studies have shown that diversity is crucial for students’ education (Hong & Page, 2004). By emphasizing and incorporating diversity into the classroom, students are given a chance to learn through other viewpoints, it encourages critical thinking, and creates a sense of community. These different backgrounds lead to students asking diverse questions, use novel approaches to solve problems, and think from multiple perspectives. Working with a diverse group of people has emphasized the need to improve classroom inclusion as well as accessibility for students. There is not one way in which all students learn or one type of assessment that exemplifies students’ knowledge. Thus, I incorporate a variety of assignments and assessments.

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In my assignments and assessments, I try to allow flexibility that will allow each student to complete the assignment using their own strengths. As the TA for a herpetology course, we give the students a creative project assignment to explore any topic in herpetology in depth and present it in any way that is not just a traditional poster or slideshow. Rather than an essay, these students could explore these topics through the lens of their own passions, strengths, and creativity. We had students create children’s books, write songs about amphibian diseases, and make elaborate drawings of reptile teeth. The freedom to choose both the topic and how they wanted to teach others about this topic allowed them to showcase their talents, gain leadership skills and gave them the confidence to teach others about the material while demonstrating what they learned.

 

(3) Teach students how to think critically. With the access to endless information at our fingertips it has become exceptionally important for students to learn how to critically think about, assess, and question all the information they obtain. One strategy I have found to be successful in getting students to critically think is to include project-based assignments in which students take ownership over a project and work with others to develop the project over time. Implementing project-based assignments has been shown to readily improve students’ ability to critical think (Issa & Khataibeh, 2021). I co-designed an upper division field ecology course in this way, where over the course of 8-weeks students are taught to think about each stage of the research process beginning with observation and ending with grant they can submit (Nevada Undergraduate Research Award). Students first complete two assignments that help them to think about the natural history of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, make observations in the natural world, and to ask questions across spatial and time scales. Students are then exposed to many ecological field methods, both in a lecture as well as in the field, where they learn how to design and execute these methods. After 6 weeks of observing and learning methods, students then need to come up with their own research questions and design a pilot study that they then conduct over one weekend. Finally, they have to write a grant in which they use all this information and present their study to their peers in class.

Giving students complete ownership over their projects helps them to engage with the material in a deeper way. The student is responsible for finding scientific literature that supports their hypotheses, critically think about the sources they are citing and communicate with their peers about the most appropriate methods. Providing students assignments that build on one another allows them to gain an understanding of the scientific process while critically thinking and applying this information to each stage of the scientific process to their own project.

 

(4) Provide students with evidence-based, student-centered, transparent teaching and mentorship. When I develop a course, I try to make my learning objectives as clear as possible, informing my students what they will learn, why they are learning it, and how it applies to them and to the larger field of biology (and even science and society). I start by identifying what I want my students to learn, and then I determine appropriate assessments and plans for their learning experience and instruction (backwards design). Providing students direct, clear explanations of what they would be doing over the semester, how they would be assessed, and what skills they would gain from each assessment is important to improve their engagement and learning. For my field ecology course, I focused on writing clear student learning outcomes with a direct connection to the activities they would do throughout the semester. At the end of the semester, we review these learning outcomes, what activity we did to address the outcome and what skills they obtained from the activity. This not only provides students with a clear idea of everything they’ve learned but it gives them the opportunity to discuss the assignments with me, helping me to continue to develop the course and improve based on their input.

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Additionally, I find that undergraduates often lean on their professors for mentorship. I try to include mentorship to my students by offering office hours, providing relevant job and research opportunities to students and offer educational and job resources to students throughout the course. For example, I have served on graduate student panels for undergraduates as an opportunity for them to ask questions and I have provided letters of recommendations for students for jobs, conferences, and internships. Currently, I am working with former students to publish their preliminary data (Nevada State Undergraduate Research Journal) they collected in my summer field ecology course. As a teaching professor I interact with students on a more personal level and therefore I try to mentor students whenever I can as they navigate college and becoming a scientist.