Teaching context and philosophy

Physiology is one of the foundation disciplines of medicine and biomedical sciences, which spans the events at a molecular and cellular level, through to the integration of systems across the entire body for maintenance of normal functions. This scope can be challenging to students, who approach the subject as individual topics and need guidance to see the patterns and interactions between molecular and system functions. My response to this challenge has been to develop student-centred activities, resources and learning environments that support students in their own ‘discovery’ of the links between the molecular events with the ‘bigger picture’. How I achieve this has evolved over time, as student expectations for their learning has changed to accommodate commuting, working, studying and socialising. My philosophy has been to make use of learning technologies where they can be most effective - by assisting students in practising a new skill or understanding key concepts, where they need time to process this learning, and be able to come back to the activity for reinforcement or revision, as needed. By embedding specific and adaptive feedback in these learning activities, students can feel confident in their understanding. This allows for face-to-face time to have a greater value to students; allowing them to connect with other students in team-based learning where they are challenged to apply their understanding and skills to novel situations.

In September 2022, I took on the role of Associate Director of Teaching (Quality) in the School of Biomedical Sciences. In this role I oversee course quality improvements in assessment and delivery across the School, and support our academic staff in quality teaching outcomes and an inclusive student experience.

Throughout my teaching career I have received sustained excellent feedback from students on the quality of my teaching that demonstrates I am an enthusiastic educator, effectively encouraging student participation and providing students with timely and actionable feedback.