Students priming students for success

Students as partners in development of pre-lecture resources for introductory genetics

Authors

  • Paary Balakumar McGill University
  • Heather Fice McGill University
  • Samuel Richer McGill University
  • Tamara Western McGill Univeristy
  • Jacqueline Yao McGill University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15173/ijsap.v8i1.5471

Keywords:

Students as partners, Genetics, Pre-lecture materials, Reflections, Large classes

Abstract

Introductory science courses can be a struggle for instructors and students not only because of the challenging nature of the material, but also due to differences in the background knowledge of students. Provision of pre-lecture resources reviewing or introducing key concepts is recommended to support diverse students. In this paper, we describe the iterative design, implementation, and assessment of pre-lecture PRIMERs in a large, introductory genetics course. The development of PRIMERs was conceived, driven, and performed by a student-staff team. Data over 2 years demonstrate that most students considered that PRIMERs supported their learning of the lecture material. Student comments revealed that they found the summaries and practice problems useful, and that they used PRIMERs both as lecture preparation and examination review resources. These results suggest that the students-as-partners model is an effective way to create and refine course resources.

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Published

2024-05-13

How to Cite

Balakumar, P., Fice, H., Richer, S., Western, T., & Yao, J. (2024). Students priming students for success: Students as partners in development of pre-lecture resources for introductory genetics. International Journal for Students as Partners, 8(1), 200–214. https://doi.org/10.15173/ijsap.v8i1.5471

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Section

Case Studies