Humanizing Online STEM Showcase
Kim Dudzik, Biology Faculty Cuyamaca College
This site provides examples of instructional resources created in the Humanizing Online STEM Academy, a professional development program funded by the California Education Learning Lab and administered by the Foothill DeAnza Community College District.
Reflections
Where I was
I started this journey as someone who has only taught in person. As someone who teaches in the sciences, I believe the in person experience is important. But I wanted to grow and help current and future students by providing a meaningful online experience for appropriate classes. My past students have always complemented me as being very personable and finding my experiential stories shared in class helpful and fun. Part of my block for teaching online was the fear of losing that capability. Then I took "Humanizing Online STEM".
Where I am
I learned so much from this course! I feel like I have many tools to "be myself" and display that to the students. To me, biology is fun, and now I think I can convey that to my students. I believe it will still be trial and error, but I now have the confidence to start the trial! And I appreciate the emphasis on remembering that "non-perfect" is actually the perfect way to deliver video content.
Where I am going
I have been developing a hybrid physiology lecture course and I am adopting most of the tools presented in Humanizing STEM. As the online content continues to be improved with the help of student feedback, I may offer a fully online section, so students have choices. I will continue create microlectures, as I think this is an important tool for students to be able to review specific content, and not waste time or develop frustration searching through an hour long video.
Liquid Syllabus
Students often express feeling anxiety over taking Human Physiology. The liquid syllabus will be used as a soft introduction to the course. It will be sent to the class at least 2 weeks before the start of the course, in order to give people time to explore, plan, and prepare. The hope is they will see the attempt at creating a supportive course, and they will use the time to develop a positive mental narrative regarding the class.
Course Card
I selected this image since it shows female and male medical personnel working with medical equipment. My hope is for students to see themselves in this photo, to help them to feel they can succeed and reach this goal!
Homepage
My homepage has images of diverse people depicting medical careers, in cartoon form. I'm hoping it is a fun way for anyone to see themself achiveving a career in which they would take Human Physiology. It means they can do it. For the rest of the page, I tried to set a supportive tone, so students know right away how to navigate the course, and where to find specific items. It finishes with a fun picture of myself that depicts my personality, while showing how they can connect with me.
Getting to Know You Survey
My survey is a way for me to get to know my students better and what their needs are. I ask them to tell me how to pronounce their name, let me know if they have a preferred name, how they think they best learn, etc. The question I like best is what scares them about the course. I know there is a lot of anxiety around the course, so I want to find out what they are early on so I can try to address it.
Wisdom Wall
I asked students to contribute to the Wisdom Wall. I like when students teach or help students, so I find the Wisdom Wall to be a great vehicle for that. As mentioned above, many students have anxiety regarding this class. My goal is to have students identify with one another, but show that they can overcome their anxiety and succeed in the class by sharing their experiences and tips.
Bumper Video
In science classes, we often ask students to "apply critical thinking skills", but I don't feel we spend much time, if any, explaining what we mean by that. So, I put together a bumper video to help them understand, and possibly spark discussion.
Microlecture
I chose to create a microlecture on cellular respiration, which is the backbone of physiology. Even though students learn it in several classes, many seem to continue to struggle with the complex subject, let alone remember it. I created a video that is just the explanation of the process with no frills. They can go back and review it as often as needed, even in other classes. It should help them to build on and help analyze subsequent content. (I went over the 10 minute limit, but it is cell respiration after all!