Course context

I taught this course once in 2013 as HSCI/MBB 426 and again as HSCI/MBB 326 in Spring 2023. I had to adapt to a new textbook and change my instruction to make it more appropriate for a 300-level course. The field has advanced a lot since I last taught the course. This is taught as a lecture-style class, and I borrowed material from other instructors who had taught the course and used it as a starting point. Since the course is an important prerequisite for 2 programs, I kept many of the features implemented by previous instructors, and I added a few personal touches. 

Students 

This course is cross-listed between the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (MBB) and the Faculty of Health Sciences. BSc students from both programs take this course as an introduction to immunology and to prepare them for subsequent classes and labs. 

Teaching Challenge 

Immunology is a challenging course. It has many interacting components in different parts of the body at different time points. This course requires systems thinking – each chapter builds on the previous one. Due to this complexity, it’s easy to get lost in the details and lose sight of the big picture. I wanted students to remember the whole system while diving into specific details.

I use structure-function-behavior (SBF) maps (Lira & Gardener, 2017) as a regular formative assessment throughout the course. Students were asked to connect a series of concepts across chapters via these concept maps to visualize how processes and structures were interconnected.

In both the midterm survey (see below) and end-of-term reflection (see below), students stated how valuable the SBF maps were for developing a systems understanding and that the instruction style of the course helped them grasp a very challenging topic.

To Enhance the Student Experience I

• Used Structure-Behaviour-Function map assignments to enhance systems-level thinking in the class.

• Used a real-time anonymous question app to get students to ask questions in class (Socrative).

•  Used Crowdmark to facilitate grading for the TA, and allow students to see grading details from exams.

•  Paused class to review complex concepts with explanations on a chalkboard.

• Conducted a midterm survey to understand what was working in the class (see responses below).

• Provided discussion question sets for every content module.

• Developed an assignment that asked students to assess ChatGPT responses critically. 

• Asked students to reflect on their learning at the end of the term.

Reference

Lira ME, Gardner SM. Structure-function relations in physiology education: Where’s the mechanism? Advances in Physiology Education [Internet]. 2017 Jun 1;41(2):270–8. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1152/advan.00175.2016

Course Materials