A man and woman examine a sweet potato in a science lab

Now you see it: Video tutorials help with undergrad science review

Blake Eligh

If your Reading Week includes plans to hit the books a little harder, you might consider an alternative study aid—videos.

Teaching assistants Alexandre Paquette and Kayla Dias have created a series of instructional videos that teach chemistry and biology students the basics of what they need to know in the lab before they step through the doors. The pair have created more than 40 instructional videos that cover equipment use, experiment techniques and other topics designed to give undergraduate science students a leg up before they begin an experiment.

The inspiration for the made-at-UTM videos sprang from Paquette’s personal experience as a student with learning challenges. Paquette, who is completing his master’s degree in stem cell biology, has always found reading to be a challenge. Paquette was officially diagnosed with a learning disorder during his undergraduate studies, but by that time, he had worked out his own method to cope with a challenging study schedule—he filmed himself working at a whiteboard and reviewed the videos during study sessions instead of re-reading written notes.

Dias is a graduate student in cell and systems biology and friend of Paquette’s. The pair both work as teaching assistants, are enthusiastic volunteers with organizations like UTM’s Association of Graduate Students, and volunteer with Let’s Talk Science and other science education outreach programs.

Dias and Paquette wondered if other students might face similar challenges, and hit upon the idea of creating videos to reach new students and those with non-traditional learning styles. The duo began work on a series of videos to help undergraduate students prepare for lab sessions.

Alex Paquette and Kayla Dias wearing lab coats
“We saw a new way to deliver the information,” Dias says. “When students are first starting out in the labs, they don’t know what to expect or what to do. Our videos help with visual preparation. Just as importantly, the videos reach students, like Alex, with different learning styles.”

“Chemistry is all about technique—how to use equipment effectively and correctly, and what to watch for during an experiment," she says. "Everyone will struggle with the same steps. Our videos will help familiarize them with these concepts so they know what to expect.”

In the videos created for the Department of Biology labs, the Paquette and Dias sing, act and use quirky visual prompts to help viewers remember information about invertebrates and plant transpiration.

The playlist for the Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences YouTube channel features  22 videos that cover need-to-know information about lab safety, how to use a micro pipette or centrifuge, and more.

Each of the videos, which are filmed by classroom technologist Keith Nablo, take about 10 hours to create and edit. The project has been a lot of work, but Paquette says the videos are making a difference. “We’re hearing from other TAs that that the students who watch the videos are doing better. They are finishing their lab work in the allotted time and ask fewer questions about small stuff. They can get to the bigger concepts faster,” he says.

UTM physics students can find similar resources created by lab supervisor Gideon Humphrey, whose videos feature explainers on equipment use demonstrations of lab techniques and basic information about topics like measuring uncertainty and standing waves on a string.

The Department of Mathematical and Computational Science has also created videos that cover precalculus, first year financial math and first year calculus tutorials.