糖心vlog传媒Bio 160 students meet for a virtual question and answer session with instructor Emaline Montgomery (bottom right).
糖心vlog传媒biology faculty are among the first in the province to transition lab courses to digital delivery.
Students taking BIO-160 Human Anatomy & Physiology I say they are enjoying the flexibility, accessibility and quality of online learning at 糖心vlog传媒.
鈥淚t was challenging at first to get used to, but they鈥檝e given us so much material and resources, it鈥檚 worked really well,鈥� said Jade Denbigh, who took the course to get ahead on her Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. 鈥淚鈥檓 actually finding that the flexibility of online learning, especially as I鈥檓 working full time, has been a big benefit.鈥�
Classmate Megan Truby is taking classes in preparation for studying radiology and says the online platform made labs less intimidating.
鈥淚t can be stressful to be in a lab setting in real life, whereas the online labs are very accessible and less intimidating,鈥� said Truby. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a good introduction to university-level sciences without being overwhelming.鈥�
Truby notes taking online courses this summer is also providing her with other skills that will come in useful as she transitions to medical school.
鈥淪oft skills like time management and organization are so important 鈥� learning online is helping to really strengthen those skills, which I know will help a lot when I have a full course load this fall at 糖心vlog传媒and in all my future studies.鈥�
Faculty worked with NIC鈥檚 Centre for Teaching and Learning to develop online lab components for the course, which has topics such as biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, and includes an extensive laboratory component, that students would be able to complete from home.
鈥淭his course was actually the perfect test case for doing labs online, because it鈥檚 about the human body,鈥� said Sandra Milligan, course developer and biology instructor. 鈥淢ost of the work we do in lab involves the students observing their own body 鈥� measuring heart rate, movement of joints, so we realized very quickly that most of it could be done from home.鈥�
Milligan discovered 糖心vlog传媒was ahead of the curve in the transition to digital learning when she attended a virtual meeting with her fellow science faculty from across the province.
鈥淚 was shocked that so many institutions had cancelled their spring offerings 鈥� NIC was one of the few in the province to be running biology labs this spring and summer,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e shared our curriculum, which is being used as a template for others.鈥�
Milligan notes NIC鈥檚 history as a distance education institution, and its size, positioned it well to make the change quickly.
鈥淭he commitment from faculty and the leadership and support from our amazing Centre for Teaching and Learning team was key in our being able to pivot so fast,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he transition wasn鈥檛 perfect, but, looking back, it鈥檚 incredible what we鈥檝e been able to accomplish and roll out in a matter of weeks.鈥�
The transition has been welcomed by fellow instructor Dr. Emaline Montgomery, who has watched her students adapt to the online labs.
鈥淟earning about themselves as learners has been a key part of this,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey are learning their own capabilities to push through boundaries and increasing their confidence with the online space and technology. There鈥檚 great online engagement with each other and with me as the instructor.鈥�
Both instructors have noted other benefits to digital learning as well, including being able to keep an eye on how students are progressing through the materials to more quickly identify those who may need help and the change in evaluation 鈥� fewer invigilated tests and more reflection-based exercises 鈥� have helped student who struggle with test anxiety.
The lessons learned through the online spring and summer delivery will also help inform how NIC鈥檚 fall classes are adapted to the digital environment.
鈥淚 am optimistic and in full support of online learning - especially hybrid and blended options where there are opportunities for the students and instructors to interact but also lots of opportunities for student-driven learning,鈥� said Montgomery.
For more details on all NIC鈥檚 science programs and courses, visit .
Media Contact C: 250-207-6946 media@nic.bc.ca