Class, Community, and Coaching: How one FHS class turns students into tutors

In HSCI 324, Human Population Genetics and Evolution, Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) students have a unique opportunity to apply their course content through “Course Coaching,” a program uniquely tied to the course’s students being coached or tutored by course alumni. FHS university lecturer Mark Lechner created this initiative when a student of his lab course offered to provide advice and tips to new students.  

“It started out as providing material for a lab course, then the student asked if we could consider tutoring current students with the students who have already gone through the class” he explains. “This student felt there was more that students could contribute than tips for lab success and really wanted to see her FHS community more connected.”

The course teaches genetic content within the context of social and biological evolution, connects genetics to the long story of human evolution, and reveals patterns in data that reflect human history.

For FHS student Pravleen Hans, she saw how Course Coaching built students’ confidence by teaching you how to support others without taking over their learning,

“Over time, you see confidence build and students start supporting each other; it feels like we’re collectively growing, not just studying,” Hans explains. “Watching someone realize, ‘Wait, I do understand this,’ is incredibly rewarding. Yes, grades improve, but more importantly, students start to believe in their ability to analyze, interpret, and think critically. They become more comfortable asking questions, leading discussions, and explaining concepts to others.”

FHS student Melika Tehrani saw the opportunity to be a Course Coach as a means of giving back to her classmates after experiencing just how much it helped her.

“Course Coaching is unique compared to other peer-to-peer tutoring methods as it creates a more relatable and approachable environment: students can ask questions and seek help from someone closer to their age, who understands the course from a student perspective and can offer guidance both academically and in navigating university life,” Tehrani explains. “Being able to give back as a Course Coach was an opportunity I couldn't look past – being a peer tutor for not only one but two semesters has been incredibly rewarding. I wanted to help my peers access the same support I got.”

Lechner explains that the mantra of HSCI 324  should not reinforce the viewpoint that evolution is simply competition and survival of the fittest, but rather how folks do as a group.

“I’m deeply interested in building a culture where students feel the importance and value in helping each other,” he says. “There are a lot of people interested semester after semester in becoming a Course Coach – there’s a sense of giving back. Having more people involved in this course provides a sense that there are more solutions and ideas that just one person – an instructor – can give.”