Genequiry: Overcoming Remote Learning Challenges in Appreciating Genetics

 by Nelieza Tubeza (Polyplex)

More than a year ago, GeneSoc has conducted their first BIO 30 tutorials for the second semester of the academic year 2019–2020. Little did we know, that was indefinitely the last tutorial session held in the Institute of Biological Sciences.

The modality of learning suddenly shifted. Students, professors, and student organizations experienced challenges to adapt to a myriad of changes. Classes transferred to remote online learning means. Meanwhile, BIO 30 remains as one of the challenging courses in a student’s initial years in UPLB.

Since GeneSoc recognizes how essential it is for students to gain mastery in the lessons in genetics, the organization’s education committee gave birth to its brainchild: Genequiry—a Discord server for BIO 30 students. This initiative offers free consultations and review nights before every quiz and exams in Genetics. The committee hopes to ease the anxiety of students from assessments and other requirements of the course.

We create and share problem sets through the Discord server, and I, GeneSoc’s Education Committee Head, discuss them and their underlying concepts in scheduled review nights. Students can ‘genequire’ about concepts and topics in genetics that baffles them, or they can just talk about everything—from elbi life and the different options for a major program as a BS Biology student to video games and memes. The students may post their questions in a text channel or wait in a voice channel lobby, and a designated Gene will respond as soon as they can. Sure enough, a healthy discussion will follow, ensuring that the student will not close the Discord server without their Genequiries satisfied. Genequiry aspires to guide BIO 30 students to appreciate genetics and get through BIO 30, especially when demotivation can easily creep onto every student in these rough times.

Last semester, we provided brief problem sets for each quiz because the department no longer requires examinations in the reformed curriculum. For this semester, however, they brought back examinations in the curriculum. Thus, BIO 30 tutorials before exams also made a comeback. On April 24, 2021, GeneSoc conducted their first virtual BIO 30 Tutorials to serve as a review session for students to prepare for their first exam. It is truly rewarding to find over 130 students taking part in the event. If IBS Lecture Hall 2 were the venue and social distancing were not an issue, the attendees would fill the room to the brim. Mr. Jordan Abellar, a teaching associate in UPLB and a BIO 30 lab instructor, facilitated the tutorial.

It has been over eight months since Genequiry started assisting BIO 30 students. Since then, we have made a handful of problem sets. We have answered countless ‘genequiries’, from explaining mind-boggling gene interactions to interpreting extrachromosomal inheritance. And above all, we started several friendships with the concepts in genetics as catalysts. With the uncertain future ahead of us, it is likely that Genequiry will still aid BIO 30 students remotely, all in the service and support of our fellow university students towards their appreciation in the science of Genetics.