It's supposed to be a "Graphical Syllabus," but every time I say it in my head it's a "Graphical Abstract."
If science articles can have graphical abstracts, why not a science course? #GraphicalSyllabus#AcademicTwitter
ALT Graphical Abstract of BIO112-102 General Biology 2. Includes sections with general information (instructor contact, class meeting times), a table showing multiple grading schemes and how the final grade is calculated, four boxes with brief information about four main assignments, a circle labeled "Lab" with 4 connecting circles that each have a brief description of an activity that will occur in lab, a section called "Other Policies" that includes information about the textbook and how late work is handled, and a linear timeline that includes important dates and outlines the major units of the course.
Anonymous student comment on my Gen Bio course:
"I love this class, I love the teacher, I love the content, I love the style of teaching, and I hope to GOD that more students will be as lucky as I’ve been to experience
this style of teaching"
😭😭😭
Please RT!
Our dpt is updating our DEIJ statement & doing associated work. These Qs came up: What are the unique challenges faced by neurodivergent faculty (esp autistic) that we should be mindful of? Are there resources that would be helpful for these faculty?
Student: Is this graded? No? Great! I am more able to learn when I do something that's not graded.
Me: But, remember last week's non-graded assignment that was only for feedback? Why didn't you submit it?
Student: Because it wasn't graded? 😬
>> Grades are complicated, y'all
An amazing thing happened in my Gen Bio course this week:
Students explained science stories to each other BY POINTING AT DATA FIGURES, not text.
THEY USED EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT CLAIMS. TO EACH OTHER. I didn't even tell them to do it that way.
😭😭😭 I'm so happy... 1/2
ALT Four students sit around a lab table; one student points at a graph on a handout while another student listens intently
On the exam (which I'm grading today), in response to the question How do you think the skills and content you are learning in this class are going to benefit you in your future? one student wrote:
"it's nice knowing how to read graphs finally." 🙌
Reason #62 why I feel like an academic outsider:
I do education research, without grant funding, without a lab, without students. I'm not a PI, but I'm also not working in another PI's lab.
But I have to fill out the "PI" field to submit an abstract to @SABERcommunity
ALT Screenshot of a form field from the SABER abstract submission website that states "PI of lab" and requires the submitter to "identify the principal investigator (PI) of your lab."
In a course reflection, a student said the main thing he's learning in my Intro Bio class is media literacy.
"I think media literacy is the next big hurdle for humanity, and you’re doing a good job at combating that."
But here's the thing: I never talk about media literacy...
I never discuss data literacy explicitly, but this student gets it:
"Really making me and the other students engage with the data figures is really effective at teaching us what to keep in mind when we’re reading, and to understand the scientific method that’s behind them."
Hypothesis: Stickers can be motivational even for college students.
Results: Students completed tasks they wouldn't have done without sticker incentives!
10/10 recommend, see below for more details.
ALT photo of one student's completed sticker chart
A year ago I started blogging on my personal website about my teaching successes and failures.
I just moved my blog to Substack! Now you can subscribe to get email notifications each time I post.
Check it out! jaymedyer.substack.com/
ALT Photo of Jayme Dyer teaching with an overlay of text saying "I'm on Substack! I'm moving my blog to Substack. Subscribe to get an email with each new post."
In my Substack newsletter, I focus on:
✅ Alternative grading
🧪 Building science literacy
👊 Improving equity & inclusion in the classroom
🧙 What’s working, what’s not, and why.