Tailoring pedagogical methods to enhance student engagement through a student-faculty partnership in an undergraduate immunology course

Getting real-time feedback on pedagogical methods used in the classroom can be a challenge due to a variety of reasons, including the classroom format, instructor lecturing styles, as well as weariness of students to engage instructors. However, a structured semester-long student-faculty partnership can serve as a powerful tool to enhance teaching effectiveness and student engagement. We describe here our version of a student-faculty partnership program (SFPP) model in an upper-level undergraduate Immunology course where a student from a non-science major was embedded in the course to observe classroom dynamics between students and instructor and provide formative feedback to the instructor throughout the semester. This collaboration led to several pedagogical adjustments suggested by the student-partner, including increased use of flipped classroom sessions, integration of lab experiments within lecture sessions, and the use of interactive tools, such as clickers for concept reinforcement and game apps for exam reviews. As a result, the course section implementing the SFPP model had high engagement in lectures and labs, increased performance on lab assignment submitted, and better satisfaction with the revised course format. The end of the semester student surveys and comments indicated student enthusiasm and comfort with the course content as a result of the revised instructional strategies. Thus, the SFPP model offers an adaptable approach for instructors seeking to create a more responsive, real-time, and student-centered learning environment in immunology and biology education.