Interdisciplinarity and Student Engagement in the School of Life Sciences

Bio
Dr Christine Lockey completed her PhD at the University of Warwick after receiving her MSc in Mathematical Biology and Biophysical Chemistry. She is currently a teaching-focused Assistant Professor in the School of Life Sciences focusing on quantitative and lab-based content, and is also the Director of Outreach for the School of Life Sciences.
Her details can be found on her Life Sciences pageLink opens in a new window
Project Summary
As an Assistant Professor in the School of Life Sciences, Christine sought to look at how the practice of interdisciplinary teaching could benefit students struggling to grasp quantitative skills as part of their biology degree. Christine observed key challenges such as students’ lack of confidence, retainment of information and resistance towards gaining mathematical expertise, and thus wanted to explore how to increase student engagement as well as their flexible and aesthetic knowledge of quantitative skills by co-developing a new module, “Practical Skills for Biologists.”This module seeks to incorporate key interdisciplinary pedagogic principles to tackle issues around students’ acquisition of quantitative skills. Christine identified that, although there is a perception that biology is not a subject that requiresa strong command of data analysis, statistical and mathematical understanding is integral to the Life Sciences. The design of the module therefore aims to better synthesize the fields of math and biology in teaching quantitative skills, and help students connect their learning of quantitative methods to their labs through the interwoven delivery of quantitative workshops and practical sessions. Christine wanted to emphasize the fundamentally interdisciplinary nature of biology, so rather than simply teach data analysis, the practical lab sessions are tethered to data analysis. This also personalizes learning, so students are analyzing their own data from the labs rather than decontextualized information. To address students’ lack of foundational skills needed for analysis, Christine included preliminary workshops to first introduce them to the use of certain software such as Excel as well as how to handle equations that would better ensure success moving forward. Finally, to reduce stress levels around learning data analysis and statistics, the module incorporates various formative assessments alongside summative forms of evaluation. Students showcase their learning through lab reports and verbal assessments that ask them to bring together an understanding of both practical and analytical skills. Christine’s focus on well-being, synthesizing disciplinary concepts and student-led learning are an emblematic implementationof interdisciplinary teaching practices in higher education.