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BIO 121: Molecular Cell Biology

Reflection on Instructional Change

Lectures | I am teaching my course in an asynchronous fashion by filming lectures in advance and posting links to the videos on the Canvas course page. Videos are filmed in front of a large whiteboard in an attempt to mimic the classroom experience. I give my students guidance on how to watch the videos. For example, I suggest that they:

preview lecture slides and review questions before they watch,
have a side-by-side window open for viewing slides during the lecture,
take notes,
pause, rewind, and only watch as long as their attention span allows.

Communication | I am using Slack, a free web-based communication platform, for discussions, questions, and community building. Slack is a user-friendly application that can be used on any web-enabled device (phone, tablet, computer). Discussion topics are organized into channels and everyone is notified when a new announcement or question is posted. In addition to channels for each lecture, there are also channels for community building efforts like "kindness and motivation" and "introductions."

Public Exams | Literature centered on equity issues surrounding traditional exams motivated my choice to try a public exam format this semester. A week before the exam, I post a question bank from which I draw the exam questions. Not all of the questions from the bank will be used for the exam, but students do not know which questions will be selected. I also post a shared spreadsheet for students to provide feedback or to ask clarifying questions. This strategy promotes critical thinking about course content, reduces test anxiety, and helps students feel supported by giving them a voice and knowing that I regard their feedback.

Mulligan Video Lecture

Pre-recorded lectures are filmed in front of a whiteboard and linked to the Canvas course page.

Mulligan Slack Communication

Slack is used as a communication platform for questions and to foster a greater sense of community.

Mulligan Public Exam

The public exam format allows students to preview a question bank from which the exam questions are pulled from. Students can ask for feedback on wording in advance.

Post Side Car - Syllabus and Schedule

Pre Side Car - Syllabus and Schedule

Faculty Biography

Kimberly Mulligan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences. She earned her Bachelor's of Science in Biochemistry and Cell Biology from the University of California, San Diego and her PhD in Developmental Biology from Stanford University. She is most passionate about inclusive and equitable teaching practices, mentoring her research students, and being a mama to two sweet kiddos and one extremely destructive puppy.

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation NSF Hispanic Serving Institution Award 1832335. 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.