Psychology researcher and April Instructor of the Month Claire Scavuzzo shares her advice for students, and how she's helping her students adapt to online delivery.
For Claire Scavuzzo in the Department of Psychology, a chance opportunity at an undergraduate research experience sparked a lifelong interest in neuroscience. Now, she shares that passion—and a few life lessons about pursuing a career in science—with students in her psychology classes as well as through an upcoming Science Literacy MOOC with students around the world. Meet our April instructor of the month.
What do you teach?
I teach a variety of undergraduate courses in the Department of Psychology, from the 100 level to the 400 level. My courses focus mainly on the physiological and biological aspects of psychology, or neuroscience.
Specifically, some of the courses I teach include PSYCO 104 - Basic Psychological Processes, PSYCO 275 - Brain and Behaviour, PSYCO 371 - The Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, and PSYCO 377 - Human Neuropsychology.
Why should people learn about this subject?
Psychology is applicable to our daily lives. We all sense and interact with the world based on the cues in our environment. We all use elements of our past experience to guide future behaviours. Our brain's physiology is responsive to changes in experience. And the physiological and biochemical state of the brain can alter how we perceive and interact with the world around us.
To me, the most valuable knowledge I have and pass on to my students is that your mental or behavioural state is a product of your brain physiology interacting with the environment and vice versa. Having that insight of the biological and physiological processes that underlie behaviour gives me some grounding when experiencing stress, anxiety, social difficulties, injury, sickness, or low mood and motivation. That understanding can help give students insight into their own physiological and behavioural experiences and how they too can alter them with changes to their environment or physiology.
What's the coolest thing about this field?
There is still so much mystery in this field. Relatively simple ideas like, “How do we sum all of the discrete ongoing environmental stimuli into a whole experience?” We have no idea! To solve these problems, psychology has relied on multiple disciplines. Much of what we know about this field is being enhanced by interdisciplinary work between psychologists, neuroscientists, chemists, physicists, engineers, computing scientists, statisticians, and many other fields. Interdisciplinary science has allowed for some of the greatest advancements in the field, which are now fueling the development of new industries and technologies.
What was your favourite learning experience as an undergrad? How do you incorporate that experience into teaching your students?
It was an interdisciplinary learning experience. I was involved in academics and research, as well as taking time to socialize. I encourage my students to do the same. We need to learn about how the brain works, how to measure the brain working, and how to interpret those measurements. My undergraduate experience, due to a rich research experience, exposed me to many disciplines.
In my courses, I like to highlight the need for multiple experts who contribute unique skills and perspectives to solving the same problem. I encourage my students to appreciate the value of other disciplines in advancing their knowledge. I use examples of the many fields, highlighting especially engineering and computing science, which are of invaluable use in contributing to our knowledge and measurement techniques.
What was it that drew you to this field?
Originally, I thought I wanted to be a doctor. I heard that to get into med school you should get lab experience. So a friend got me into their lab. I was immediately involved in a project about how estrogen affects rats’ habits and memory. At the time, my mother was experiencing the effects of menopause on cognition. Doing this project was extremely eye opening into the changes in my mom's behaviour.
“Try research—but join a lab that interests you and builds your skills. Have passion for what you do. Think critically.” —Claire Scavuzzo
As I sat and listened to other students in the lab talk about their research—on stress and memory, soy eating and memory, nicotine and memory, exercise and memory, and sugar and memory—I was hooked. It became clear to me that in order to be able to critically evaluate what was going on in the research, I needed to learn more about this field. I double majored in molecular and cellular biology and psychology and went on to get a doctorate in neuroscience.
What do you feel is the most important piece of advice you give to your students?
Try research—but join a lab that interests you and builds your skills. Have passion for what you do. Think critically.
What would people be surprised to know about you?
I don't own a car. I bike, run, or walk daily, am a mother of two kids, and have been developing an upcoming massive online open course (MOOC) with the Faculty of Science on Scientific Literacy so that anyone can learn the value of critical thinking and scientific process, within and outside the University of Alberta.
How are you helping your students adapt to online delivery?
From watching the global responses of COVID-19 outbreaks, it was clear by early March that social distancing measures were going to take place at the University of Alberta, in some form, in an effort to stop the spread.I had a bit of a head start on the online implementation, which made the transition relatively smooth for my students—but I have found overall that students have been very understanding that we have had to put together content very quickly.
There are a lot of uncertainties, for all of us right now. One thing encouraging and motivating me, despite all these uncertainties, is to see students continuing to be engaged in learning. The resiliency of our students dealing with daily news briefings, changes to their education, and the health of their family during a global pandemic is impressive in its own right.
For the next little while things may be different. A lot about how we teach and learn may change. And hopefully with this experience, we can learn how (or how not) to inspire and educate our students by providing accessible opportunities through multiple modes of delivery. Using new technologies to do more online assessments and classroom discussions come with their many uncertainties, but again students have been extremely adaptable and understanding to the inevitable glitches, while also using these tools to support each other emotionally throughout this time.
In responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, I have witnessed compassionate interactions between every level of the university community, giving me hope for our institution, our students, and our graduates, when we are on the other side of this health crisis.
Everyone stay well and keep up the physical distancing!