Course number: KINS 151A

Collaborative inquiry, Engagement, Peer learning

Reflection on Instructional Change:

I implemented "Planning Effective Class Discussions” practice through a structured discussion activity on the biomechanics of tendons. The goal was to help students connect tendon structure to function by actively engaging with scientific evidence. I began by posing open-ended questions about tendon roles to activate prior knowledge and spark curiosity. Students were then divided into small groups and given a scientific paper on tendon adaptation, along with a worksheet that guided their inquiry through targeted questions about tendon mechanics, structure, and function. Each group identified key findings and discussed how tendon dimensions relate to energy storage and force transmission. Finally, representatives from each group shared their insights in a whole-class summary discussion.

This practice was well received by many students, who actively engaged in their group discussions. However, some preferred to work independently and share their findings only during the final discussion; overall, the activity was effective but will benefit from further refinement in future semesters.

The FLC activities that most influences the changes I made in my instruction were the demonstration videos from the ACUE Course and the Observe and Analyze session with my colleagues. The videos offered examples and strategies for increasing student engagement (approaches I hadn’t considered before) that broadened my perspective on active learning. The Observe and Analyze session was also really valuable, providing feedback and meaningful discussion with colleagues that helped me reflect on my teaching practices and identify areas for continued improvement.

One particularly helpful piece of feedback I received was to incorporate more follow-up questions during class discussions to deepen student thinking—an idea I really appreciated and plan to apply in future lessons.

**Evidence of Instructional Change**
Worksheet provided to students to guide them through the activity	Me summarizing each group findings on the whiteboard, during the final discussion.	Promoting Active Learning ACUE badge

Practice and Reflect on: Active Learning Cycle

I am planning to implement the Active learning cycle in my biomechanics class, in the past I had students watch a short video of a researcher talking about muscles and tendons in different animals and how the size and the shape of muscle fibers and tendons can affect their function, then I asked students to answer simple multiple choice questions to test their understanding. While I think this was a well received activity (we introduced these concepts before, so it was stimulating for students to see them applied in a real world example), I feel like using the concepts of Exploration, Introduction and Application may be more effective.

In a couple of weeks I plan to do the following group activity:

Ask students a stimulating question: compare the size of muscles that act on the knee vs those that act on the ankle? which muscles have a long and thin vs short and thick tendon? (Exploration)
Show a 10 min video where a researcher talks about these topics, with examples of different muscles/tendons in different animals and how these concepts can be applied to human motion (Introduction)
Ask students to find other examples of muscles and tendons in our body that have different sizes and explain their roles (Application)

Asking students to start thinking about these aspects at the beginning of the lecture, working in small groups, will bring up different perspectives and approaches that may highlight misconceptions and stimulate discussion. The second part of the lecture (the video) will then be more interesting, since students already tried to answer these questions and will be stimulated to see the researcher's perspective and look for answers. The final part will test their understanding and the ability to apply the knowledge they just learned to different parts of our body (not just knee and ankle).

Course Syllabus: https://csus.instructure.com/courses/137239/files?preview=25248981

Faculty Bio

Faculty Biography
	I am an associate professor at Sacramento State, where I direct the Biomechanics Lab and study the mechanics of human movement—especially running. Originally from Italy, I earned my M.S. in Biomedical Engineering at the Polytechnic of Milan and my Ph.D. in Biomechanics at the University of Udine, with research experience at the University of Colorado’s Locomotion Lab. As both a scientist and a runner, I’m passionate about exploring how the body moves and applying that knowledge to improve performance and understanding of human locomotion.

Sponsors
	This work was supported by: National Science Foundation Hispanic Serving Institution Project STEM Zone DUE 1832335 US Department of Education Hispanic Serving Institution Project Degree with a Purpose P031S210061 US Department of Education Hispanic Serving Institution Project STEM4Equity P031C210012 *Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation or the US Department of Education.