Teaching How To Learn

Dr. Chris Harmon, Chemistry Department

Dr. Harmon credits much of his success in reducing equity gaps to having participated in the ESCALA program that has been part of an HHMI grant in CNRS. “Before attending ESCALA, I believed that science isn’t inherently racist, so race doesn’t matter. I was not aware of the variations in learning beyond that of just putting in hard work, and I was convinced I couldn’t change the way I taught.” 

Empowering Students Through Specs Grading

Sally Hang, Psychology Department
Grading shapes the experience of instructors and students. As a psychology lecturer and a recent first-generation student of color, Sally Hang intimately understands the importance of cultivating a growth mindset particularly for marginalized students. Using a grade schema that maximizes student agency appeals to her on many levels.                                                                                                                                                             

Inspiring Professional Identity

Dr. Jianmin Zhong, Biology Department and Loren Collins, Faculty Support Coordinator
Dr. Jianmin Zhong, professor of biology, and Mr. Loren Collins, Faculty Support Coordinator for Service Learning and Career Education, joined forces to assist Humboldt students prepare for a career in medicine. The idea was simple. If students could gain academic credit working with community health care providers, then they would be able to have a grade on their transcript, which is required for admittance into health care graduate programs. 

Integrative Learning

Dr. Justus Ortega, Kinesiology Department
Taking an integrative approach to teaching and learning prepares and transforms students into  professionals in their field. It’s not enough to listen to a lecture, or practice in a lab, or engage in community service. All these parts are important and often necessary for deep learning to happen, but it takes much more to transform students into dedicated practitioners.

Teaching like a Jazz Musician

Dr. James Woglom, Art Department
Teaching, crafting significant learning experiences is like jazz. Faculty create structures that guide student learning. They organize content, craft curriculum, and choose engagement methods and tools, yet implementing these choices is much more complex. Dr. James Woglom describes the intersection of structure with its actualization as improvisation is to jazz.