PROFILES IN COURAGE ANNE GLENN
BIOCHEMISTRY ONLINE:
“Hands On” Virtual Learning “I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE in Madrid right now,” says Professor of Chemistry Anne Glenn. She was planning to take a group of students to Spain to shadow physicians during the spring 3-week term. Instead, Anne is currently teaching a course on the principles of biochemistry, and despite the transition to online learning, has had great success in her virtual classroom. When Guilford first made the transition, Anne had two labs left for her 12-week organic chemistry class. One was an activity that was easily done online, and the other was more handson. “Rob Whitnell, my husband who’s also in the Chemistry department, took a video of me doing the lab,” she says. “I
“We use the ‘breakout
posted the video and had students take notes in their lab notebook as if they
room’ feature in Zoom, in which students can work together and use various online tools.”
were doing the experiment themselves.” This summer, however, some Chemistry classes are using lab kits — students will receive the materials they need and will do labs in their home. “It’s not our first choice, but it’s the best given the
— Anne Glenn, Professor of Chemistry
situation,” says Anne. Without in-person labs, the College had an excess of personal protective equipment and Anne felt that it could be
Although there have been a few
put to good use. “So I said, ‘maybe we can
both among her colleagues and in her
do something with all the gloves that
classroom. “We do a lot of collaborative
drawbacks, Anne says a lot of what
aren’t being used,’ and everyone agreed.”
learning in the Chemistry department,”
they've done in Chemistry has been
Anne then organized the donation of
she said. “In the classroom I would have
synchronous. Still, she misses her
around 7,000 gloves to local medical
students working in teams, and they’d
students. “I’m really looking forward to
facilities. “It wasn’t just me, it was a
report back. Now, we use the ‘breakout
not talking on screens. It doesn’t matter
College effort and I just happened to say
room’ feature in Zoom, in which students
how many cool Zoom backgrounds I
it first.”
can work together and use various
have, I’d rather see my students.”
Collaboration is important to Anne,
online tools.”
— J. Patterson W W W. G U I L F O R D . E D U | 1 7
