The Biology Department recognized the hard work and innovation of all of our Learning Assistants (LAs) by presenting “The Outstanding Learning Assistant Award” to a group of Biology LAs on December 11, 2020. These students presented a poster that was judged by the Biology Honors Committee to best outline procedures that will improve teaching in our undergraduate courses. The winners of this award receive a monetary award of $400 to split. Financial support for this award was made possible by Professor Emerita Elizabeth Godrick.
Top award:
Sophia Aburida, Genesis Bolado, Madison Homsey, and Akhila Sonti received the top award for Biology LAs for their poster on the topic of “LabScribe3 Kahoot Activities for Human Physiology Labs”. Here is the abstract from the group’s presentation:
LabScribe3 software is an essential component of BI211/315 Physiology Lab at Boston University. Students use this software every lab period to collect data, analyze it and conduct their own novel physiology experiments. As LAs, we have noticed that students come into the lab section the first week lacking the preparation they need in order to navigate LS3 despite being assigned videos to watch in preparation for lab. This contributes to a lack of work efficiency during lab time. To combat this issue, we are proposing a Kahoot game activity that students would participate in for the first 15-20 minutes of lab during the first three weeks. The first week would be an icebreaker activity to increase interaction and engagement between the teaching staff and students. The second and third weeks, the Kahoot activity will be focused on presenting different LS3 scenarios. The purpose of this would be to reinforce the content presented in the videos students are assigned before lab and increase their efficiency with LS3. The LA will conduct all three Kahoot activities to increase their comfort level with teaching and also allow for interaction with students. After each Kahoot activity, the LAs will send a PDF answer key to each student so they can review it and reference it during lab. Each answer will reference the respective pages in the lab manual that the answers can be found. This is feasible in both LfA and normal teaching because Kahoot is a commonly used platform that is very user-friendly and students can access the game through any device. Given that the first three weeks of lab are introductory, this activity would fit into the curriculum appropriately and make students more engaged.
A close runner-up:
Beverly Bruno, Margaret Flanagan, Julia Lee, and Niyana Self were the runners up for their poster on their presentation titled, “Student Informal Study Group Proposal for BI 105”. Here is the abstract from the group’s presentation:
BI105 is an introductory Biology course for health sciences in which students learn in both a laboratory and lecture setting. With the hybrid learning model that has been implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students have encountered more difficulties in connecting with fellow classmates, forming study groups in their courses, and contributing to each other’s educational experiences. The creation of informal study groups creates a platform for students to ask one another questions and to bridge gaps in communication, deepening students’ understanding of course material without the pressure of graded group work. These study groups are not required, but simply a supplemental resource for students who are interested in participating. A survey can be given to all students at the beginning of the semester to form study group assignments. Specific questions on this survey will include students’ time zones, how often and engaged they would be in their study groups, LfA status, and other qualities related to their study habits. Based on student responses, groups are formed based on compatibility and availability. There would be 3-4 members in each group. When LfA ends, the program can continue to operate, providing the students an additional support system for this course.
Congratulations to the award-winners and thanks to all the hardworking LAs who participated in the poster presentations. And a big thank you to all the LAs for their dedication and hard work during a difficult semester. More information on the Learning Assistant Program can be found here.