Pamela Kalas

Courses taught (past and present): BIOL121, BIOL140, BIOL234, BIOL334, BIOL335, BIOL337, BIOL463, SCIE001
Whether I am teaching a large first year lecture, a specialized upper-level seminar-style course, in a classroom or in a laboratory, my ultimate goals are to stimulate curiosity and critical thinking, and to help students become independent learners. As a scientist, I aim at adopting teaching practices that have been validated through rigorous evidence-based research. To educate myself about such practices, I regularly participate in science teaching and learning events, discussion groups, as well as education conferences and other off-campus professional development activities. I am always keen on experimenting with new activities and strategies in my classrooms, and I endeavor to assess how effective they are in enhancing students’ learning.
I have participated in the development of concept inventories (CIs) with the Biology Q4B group and been heavily involved in UBC's Flexible Learning Initiative. My current interests include Community-Based Experiential Learning projects, authentic assignments/activities that students can legitimately disseminate outside the classroom (e.g., Wikipedia articles, presentations at MURC), and the development of activities that promote a “de-simplified” and more accurate view of genetics.

A note to students looking for a Directed Studies: I do not have a research program, so I can't offer you a BIOL448 lab position. I may be available for Biology Teaching & Learning - oriented projects.