I use a range of digital and instructional technologies to support student learning, engagement, accessibility, and assessment. My approach is guided by the principle that technology should enhance understanding and participation, rather than distract from or replace meaningful human interaction in the classroom.
Learning Management System and Course Organization
I use Canvas extensively to organize course materials and communicate with students. All assignments are posted through Canvas, and most student work is submitted there. I also use Canvas to deliver exams and quizzes, providing students with a familiar and centralized platform for assessment. Materials are organized chronologically, with one module for each week of the semester.
Through Canvas, I provide students with access to my lecture materials, including both PowerPoint slides and a structured student outline. I generate these outlines by using ChatGPT to adapt the text from my slides into a clear, student-friendly format, which helps students follow lectures more effectively and organize their notes. Canvas is also used for in-class participation tracking: on days when participation activities occur, students log in to complete a brief, password-protected quiz, allowing me to document attendance while keeping the focus on engagement.
Lecture Design, Visual Media, and Simulations
My lectures are delivered primarily through PowerPoint presentations, which I design to be visually engaging and accessible, using readable text, high-quality images, and clear organization. I frequently embed short videos, animations, and simulations directly into my presentations to help students visualize complex biological processes.
These include short documentary or news clips related to course topics (for example, videos illustrating how chromatophores function in cephalopods) as well as animations of cellular and molecular processes such as mitosis, transcription, and translation. I often mute the audio on these videos and provide live narration during class, allowing me to tailor explanations to student questions and adjust pacing in real time. One particularly effective example is an animated “tour of the cell” that places students inside a virtual submarine traveling through cellular structures, helping them build spatial understanding of otherwise abstract concepts.
Real-Time Drawing and Interactive Visualization
At times, I connect my iPad to the classroom projector to draw diagrams in real time. This approach is especially effective for processes that students often find challenging. For example, during a “mitosis draw-along,” I sketch each phase of mitosis live while students draw alongside me. This shared, step-by-step visualization helps students slow down, ask questions, and develop a clearer mental model of the process.
Digital Tools for Participation and Discussion
To support inclusive participation, I use Padlet, an interactive online discussion board. During class, I create a Padlet with several prompts, including a brief check-in question, questions tied directly to the day’s lecture, a review question from recent material, and space for students to ask questions anonymously.
I then review responses in real time, responding to questions and using student comments to launch discussion. The option for anonymous participation lowers barriers for students who may feel hesitant to speak due to language insecurity, shyness, or fear of judgment, and it allows a wider range of voices to be heard.
I also use Kahoot as a collaborative review tool, particularly in the week leading up to exams. Students work in small teams to answer timed questions, turning review into an energetic, low-stakes activity. Kahoot’s scoring system adds an element of fun, and I bring a small “prize box” to class so that winning teams can select from small items such as stickers, pencils, or themed trinkets. These sessions promote collaboration, reinforce key concepts, and help reduce exam anxiety.
Films and Multimedia Assignments
I incorporate a small number of full-length films that provide strong conceptual overviews of specific topics. These include Why Sex, which explores the evolutionary significance of sexual reproduction; Life’s Greatest Miracle, which examines conception, gestation, and childbirth; and Your Inner Fish, which focuses on the discovery of Tiktaalik and its role in our understanding of vertebrate evolution.
Typically, students watch these films outside of class and complete guided questions to demonstrate understanding. In one instance, I screened Your Inner Fish during class prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, while still offering an asynchronous option for students who were traveling. This flexible approach allowed students to engage with the material in ways that accommodated their schedules.
Virtual and Simulated Field Experiences
I piloted an ecology activity developed by The Virtual Field, which uses a series of immersive 360-degree videos filmed at preserves in California and Michigan. Students were able to manipulate the camera view, observe seasonal differences, and listen to ambient environmental sounds. The activity included guided discussion questions and a virtual experiment in which students measured canopy cover using a simulated densiometer, a standard field ecology tool.
My courses were the first to use this activity in the classroom. Students reported high engagement, and I was excited to contribute feedback to the activity’s development. One particularly rewarding moment came when a student later referenced leaf size and water retention during an informal class discussion, noting that they had learned it from the Virtual Field “Scientific Inquiry” video – evidence that the experience had meaningfully supported their understanding.
Assessment, Data Tracking, and Learning Outcomes
To support assessment and accountability, I developed an Excel-based tracking system that allows me to quantify Student Learning Outcome (SLO) achievement for individual students across multiple outcomes. This tool helps me analyze patterns in student learning and reflect on areas where instructional adjustments may be beneficial.
Thoughtful Use of Artificial Intelligence
I take a transparent and intentional approach to the use of AI tools in my courses. In a semester-long project, students research a topic of their choice and create an informational brochure. While students are responsible for locating sources and drafting original content, they are permitted to use AI tools such as Copilot or ChatGPT to revise and format text.
My syllabus policy states:
The use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Notebook LM) is an emerging skill. When used appropriately, AI tools can support learning in this course; when used inappropriately, they may interfere with skill development and academic integrity. In this course, the use of AI is permitted under the following guidelines:
- Studying and Learning Support: You may use AI tools to study and enhance your understanding of course material.
- Idea Generation: AI may be used to help generate project ideas and explore potential topics.
- Research and Citation: When using AI to research topics, you must cite any information obtained from AI sources, just as you would with books, articles, or websites. Note: AI can sometimes produce factual errors. You are responsible for verifying the accuracy of all information you submit.
- Assignments, Quizzes, and Exams: You may not use AI to generate direct answers to any written assignments, quizzes, or exams.
- Summarizing and Synthesizing Information: You may use AI to help you summarize and synthesize information. In such cases, you must include a brief description of how you used the AI tool in your process. (Guidelines for how to document and submit this verification will be provided during the semester).
Several students have expressed uncertainty or concern about using AI, either due to unfamiliarity or fear of academic dishonesty. These conversations provide opportunities to clarify expectations and model ethical, learning-centered uses of AI. While AI use is not required, students are reassured that, in this context, its use is permitted and guided by clear parameters.
Access and Communication
In addition to in-person office hours, I offer students the option to meet with me via Zoom, either during scheduled office hours or at other mutually convenient times when I am not on campus. This flexibility increases access to support for students with work, caregiving, or transportation constraints.
Future Directions: Virtual Reality
Looking ahead, I am interested in expanding the use of virtual reality (VR) as an instructional tool. At my previous institution, I implemented an assignment in which students used VR headsets to explore a 360-degree animation of cellular structures. While not all students preferred this modality, many found it highly engaging and helpful for spatial learning.
At present, College of Marin does not have classroom access to VR headsets, but I hope to pursue funding opportunities to support future implementation. VR technologies offer exciting possibilities for allowing students to manipulate structures and processes in virtual space, and I see strong potential for their use in biology education as these tools continue to develop.