Digital Teaching Toolkit

Research and Instructional Technology Services, NYU Shanghai Library

Biology

Human Genetics: Pre-recorded Lectures and Lab Sessions

Course: Human Genetics: Human Health and Disease (Lecture & Laboratory course)

Instructor: David Fitch, Professor of Biology at NYU

Students enrolled: 5

Technology used: NYU Classes, VoiceThread, and SimUText

“Human Genetics: Human Health and Disease” is a theoretical and practical two-credit lecture course and a two-credit lab course in which students in Chicago, New York, and Shanghai explore how genes shape human traits, and how genetic defects can result in diseases. This semester, David Fitch, Professor of Biology at NYU, is teaching the course remotely from New York to five students in China and the United States. 

Fitch mainly uses pre-recorded lectures on VoiceThread to cover the theories of genetics, which allows students the freedom to watch lectures whenever they want. His first video included a welcome video, followed by audio and annotations explaining knowledge in detail on the subsequent slides. On VoiceThread, students are able to leave text, audio, or even video comments visible to their classmates. Comments can be made at any point, and students use them to ask questions, express thoughts, and spur discussion. 

Fitch added a video welcome message to the first slide of Lecture 1.

Fitch’s video welcome message on the first slide of Lecture 1.
While they go through slides with Fitch’s audio explanations and annotations, students can interact by adding text, audio, or video comments.
While they go through slides annotated with the instructor’s audio explanations and annotations, students interact by adding text, audio, or video comments.