Unraveling Inheritance

Searching For Meaning in Our Genes

This 3-credit hour semester course gives non-science majors a solid foundation in genetics and modern DNA science. It helps learners develop a curiosity for scientific discovery, gives them the skills to evaluate scientific advances in their day-to-day lives, and improves their critical thinking and communication skills.

I designed the course from scratch using a best-selling book from science writer Carl Zimmer for inspiration. I developed three versions of the course: an asynchronous eLearning course, an online blended course, and an in-person learning experience.

Audience: Art and Design BFA students at an art institute

Responsibilities: Curriculum design, Course Development, eLearning Development, In Person Instruction, Online Instruction, Website Design

Tools: Google Classroom, Google Suite, Google Sites, Camtasia, PowerPoint

View the Course Syllabus

The Challenge

The Kansas City Art Institute hired me to develop a science course that aligned with the learning objectives of their Liberal Arts Department. The students were art and design majors with diverse science backgrounds. If that was not challenging enough, I started with just the departmental learning objectives!

The Solution

To capture the attention of art students, I knew this science course needed to be creative, fun, and relevant to their day-to-day lives. Instead of a textbook, I used a best-selling non-fiction book from a well-known science writer, Carl Zimmer, which explains biology in general terms. I incorporated learner creativity and buy-in by having students produce science videos and podcasts for their course projects. Learner activities were visual and hands-on, such as problem-solving, case studies, small group learning, and experiments.

Due to pandemic restrictions, I launched an asynchronous eLearning course and expanded it to include synchronous sessions. The course is now in-person.

Course Design

The Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) values creative freedom and allowed me to create my ideal course. My only restriction was that it needed to align with the learning outcomes of the KCAI Liberal Arts Department. This experience challenged me but proved rewarding, enabling me to enhance my curriculum development skills. I used Bloom’s taxonomy to write my objectives and iterated on my design. The table below shows the alignment of my final course learning outcomes with the departmental learning outcomes.

Aligning course learning objectives with departmental learning outcomes

I created a list of general topics for coverage, drawing from my molecular biology and genetics background. I focused on DNA and inheritance. Next, I searched for a book that encompassed many of these topics. Eschewing traditional textbooks for a more engaging approach, I selected a non-fiction book by a renowned science writer for the reading assignments. Believing a textbook wouldn't resonate with my learners, I sought a book tailored to science-curious adults. Carl Zimmer's "She Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity" was the perfect choice, aligning with my topics of interest.

She Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity

After finalizing my list of topics, I decided what to cover each week. I then wrote learning objectives and a summary for each week. Examples from weeks 2 and 3 are below.

Unraveling Inheritance learning objectives

I decided to evaluate learning by giving the students two exams and having them complete two projects: a science video and a podcast. I also gave the students a pre-course survey to assess their prior knowledge.

Course Development

Now that the design was in place, I selected learning experiences that met the weekly learning objectives. Some of the learning activities I designed, and others I sourced and modified from science education resources like HHMI Biointeractive or the Personal Genetics Education Project. I developed videos of my lectures using PowerPoint and Camtasia. To see an example of an eLearning activity I developed, check out Mew-nique Markings.

Each week, I incorporated Gagne’s nine events of instruction. The events I leaned on the most were gaining attention and stimulating recall of prior learning. Providing learner guidance was also critical when it came to developing problem-solving skills.

I rolled out the course during the pandemic and offered it as an online asynchronous learning experience.
I hosted my course on Google Classroom, the Learning Management System KCAI used. I also developed a classroom website in Google Sites, which helped the weekly narrative of an online asynchronous course.

Course Evaluation

I assessed the course using Kirkpatrick’s level 1 (Reaction) through post-course learner surveys and level 2 (Learning) through exams and course projects. I also compared the answers on their pre-course vs post-course knowledge survey. Since my course was an elective, it was tough to assess level 3 (Behavior) and level 4 (Results/Return on Investment), but I did have students tell me later that the course changed the way they think of the world and approach problems.