I made a liquid syllabus for my introduction to Anatomy and Physiology class. My liquid syllabus is a Google site that I can share with students before class begins, and before they have access to the class Canvas page and other materials. It also means that students who are interested in, but not yet registered for my class, can learn about my class and expectations. 

A course card is what students see in our online learning management system, Canvas. The idea of humanizing the course card is to make it welcoming to the students, and include a photo or image that they can relate positively to, and make them feel like they belong in my class. Most of the pictures I saw were of scientists in a lab, or anatomical models, or of people getting vaccinated by healthcare workers. I didn't think those were warm and welcoming. I wanted to show a person doing something active, which relates to the topics of Anatomy and Physiology but also have it be a body and clothing that students might relate to. 

Our class homepage is what students see on our online learning management system. It links to the content modules, syllabus, class announcements, inbox and Zoom student hours. The homepage has buttons linking to the most important areas, and prominently shows a picture of me, their professor, and how to contact me, including the Zoom link where they can meet me online. I also state that I'll reply to their emails within 24 hours during the work week, and a little longer on weekends. I want them to know how easily they can reach me. 

In this bumper video, I introduce one of my favorite chapters, the respiratory system. I outline that we will learn about the structures, functions, internal and external respiration, and the regulation of breathing. I end with a positive message. I want students to feel energized and prepared for the last unit of the class, when people might be feeling burnt out. This was my first time using Adobe Express, and I found that I enjoy the tool. It's easy to make a short, visually appealing and welcoming presentation. 

This microlecture introduces the importance of blood typing. In many of my classes, blood typing is a challenge for some students. Understanding the process, details, and importance involves drawing upon different aspects of biology knowledge, including basic genetics, immune system function, biological macromolecules and the circulatory system. All that, plus it can be a bit of a logic puzzle! I really like teaching blood typing for these reasons, as well as the human response that it saves lives, and I want my students to feel confident rather than confused. 

I usually teach blood typing in the Blood chapter, and students should be familiar with basic genetics, immune system function, biological macromolecules and an overview of the circulatory system when they view this lecture. I recorded this lecture from a Powerpoint using Camtasia.