Teaching beyond information transfer

Like many scientists trained in research-intensive environments, my doctoral and postdoctoral training provided deep disciplinary expertise but little formal preparation for teaching. In my first few semesters as a biochemistry instructor, I relied heavily on traditional lectures, confident that a well-structured presentation would translate into student learning.

Courtesy of Deepali Bhandari

Deepali Bhandari poses with her undergraduate students Oshiana Schenkelberg, Shayla Tran and Anma Arora as well as graduate students Tuhina Bhattacharya, Samantha Perez and Anthony Rios at the Annual Student Research Symposium for the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at California State University, Long Beach, in September 2024.

My students and my own experience quickly reshaped that belief.

Student feedback and self-reflection revealed that while lectures efficiently delivered content, they did not always foster deep understanding or confidence. Participation in pedagogy-focused learning communities and exposure to evidence-based teaching practices pushed me to rethink the lecture-centered model I had inherited. Gradually, I redesigned my courses, shifting the classroom from a place of information transfer to one of engagement and discovery.

One of the most meaningful changes I made was becoming more intentional and transparent about learning goals. I now begin each class with clearly articulated learning outcomes and revisit them throughout the session. To set an inviting tone, I open each session with a motivational quote or a scientific joke tied to the topic, a small ritual that helps humanize a challenging subject. And students love it!

Providing study guides and incorporating low-stakes activities help students focus on core concepts rather than memorization. Inviting students to work through problems at the board further transforms the classroom into a collaborative space.

Assessment was another area of significant change. I moved away from viewing exams as endpoints and began using assessment as a tool for learning. Weekly online homework with multiple attempts and immediate feedback, completion-based activities and postquiz discussions allow students to learn from mistakes in real time.

I was surprised by how strongly students responded and how often they came to what I call “student hours,” not just for answers but to talk through their reasoning. Sharing my own failures as a first-generation scientist also helped reshape classroom dynamics in lasting ways.

The greatest lesson my students have taught me is that learning is not linear. Some innovations worked well, while others required revision.

Creative activities such as biochemical skits and student-recorded mini lectures emerged through experimentation, including during the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. What surprised me most was how readily students took ownership of their learning when given trust and flexibility.

While my instructional approaches have evolved over the past 11.5 years, one thing has remained constant: I enter the classroom deeply aware of the responsibility I carry as an educator. That responsibility has guided every revision and every effort to make biochemistry more accessible and meaningful. In refining my teaching, I have not only watched my students grow, I have grown alongside them, and for that I am deeply grateful.