TeachingOverview

Dr. Ciaran Shaughnessy teaches physiology and mentors research students in the Department of Integrative Biology. His teaching emphasizes clarity, inclusive practices, and active engagement with complex material. In both the classroom and the lab, he aims to support students in developing confidence, critical thinking skills, and durable strategies for learning and scientific inquiry.

TeachingPhilosophy

I am deeply committed to my role as an educator and mentor. My approach to teaching is grounded in principles of active learning and structured reflection. I aim to establish a connection with students based on mutual respect and trust, and I view myself not simply as a source of knowledge, as a facilitator of learning and growth. I recognize that students come from diverse backgrounds with different learning needs and styles, and I strive to build classroom environments that are inclusive, equitable, and engaging.

I strive to clearly communicate expectations, provide predictable structure, and offer low-stakes opportunities for students to practice skills before assessments. I design my courses to challenge students in a supportive environment such that they are able to take ownership of their learning process. I want to help my students to develop independence and curiosity, and I aim to guide them toward a deeper understanding of both content and process.

Pedagogy

My courses use structured reflection, transparent grading, and interactive and reflective tools like iClicker to foster engagement. I aim to support student motivation by offering choices, accessible review opportunities, and opportunities to practice without penalty. I believe this creates space for students to develop confidence and build mastery at their own pace.

Education Science Interests

I am an avid consumer and practitioner of insights gleaned from education science, particularly with respect to the teaching of college-level physiology. I stay current with journals such as Advances in Physiology Education, attend workshops, trainings, and seminars in physiology education, and seek to apply my training in enhancing the learning environment and student performance in my classroom. I take my teaching seriously and treat it as a discipline in its own right, much the same way I do my research.

CurrentCourses

I currently teach physiology and supervise research students at Oklahoma State University. My teaching includes large lecture-based courses, lab instruction, and individual mentorship through undergraduate and graduate research credits.

BIOL 3204, "Physiology"

BIOL 3204, "Physiology" is a 4-credit hour course (lecture and laboratory) that introduces students to principles of vertebrate physiological processes and their underlying anatomical, cellular, molecular features, with a primary focus on human systems.The lecture component emphasizes systems-level understanding, critical thinking, and practice-based learning through in-class iClicker questions, take-home assignments, and review opportunities. The lab is designed to reinforce lecture content with hands-on investigation and small-group collaboration. Students collect and interpret physiological data and engage in guided scientific inquiry throughout the semester.

BIOL3204 | Teaching Approach

My approach to teaching BIOL 3204 emphasizes clarity, structure, and support for diverse learners in a large-enrollment setting. I aim to make expectations explicit and to provide students with frequent, low-stakes opportunities to practice and receive feedback. I draw on active learning principles, including real-time polling, structured review, and reflective assignments, to help students build mastery gradually and intentionally. I also value intellectual flexibility: students can explore the material through creative or self-directed activities that suit their interests and strengths. Across both lecture and lab, I work to create a culture of transparency, empathy, and scientific curiosity.

BIOL3204 | Lecture Overview

Typically, multiple lecture sections (each with 150-240 students) are offered each semester. The lecture is structured as a survey of major physiological systems (i.e,, endocrine, nervous, cardiovascular, renal, gastrointestinal, reproductive, and immune). Graded activities include weekly homework assignments (10 total), daily in-class iClicker participation, midterms (4 total, lowest dropped), and a final exam. Additionally, there are extra credit opportunities to encourage students to engage in varied and reflective experiences with the material, including weekly homework activities (e.g., drawing, writing, using computer-based models and simulations, wathcing and reflecting on videos, reading and reflecting on non-fiction book chapters, etc.).

Example BIOL3204 Lecture Syllabus

BIOL3204 | Lab Overview

Students select a weekly 2-hour lab section (each with typically 18-24 students) along with their lecture section. The laboratory is designed to reinforce lecture concepts through guided, hands-on activities in which students use clinically relevant analytical devices to measure their own physiological processes in real time. Students complete 12 graded lab modules throughout the semester, each requiring pre-lab assignments, in-lab participation, and engagement with physiological experiments. Graded components include attendance and participation, bi-weekly quizzes (6 total, lowest dropped), and a lab report on real physiological data collected during lab and written modeled after scientific journal articles. The lab report writing process includes a rough draft, peer review workshop, and a final submission.

Example BIOL3204 Lab Syllabus

BIOL3204 | Student Feedback

I have taught over 500 students in BIOL 3204 since I joined the Department in Spring 2024. I have gotten to know some exceptionally talented students at OSU over this time, and student feedback on the course has been overwhelmingly positive. I find students tend to appreciate the structured approach of the class, the interactive nature of the lecture, and the emphasis on understanding rather than memorization. The most rewarding feedback is from students who find that the course has helped them develop thier independent and critical thinking skills and a deeper appreciation for physiology as a discipline.

Cumulative Total Student Survey of Instruction (from over 500 students' course evaluations)

Overall Score = 4.47/5

Below is a rotating selection of student feedback from all section of BIOL 3204 that I have taught. These quotes are selected from the Student Survey of Instruction (SSI) and represent a range of student experiences and perspectives on the course.

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ResearchCredits

An important part of my teaching duties includes mentoring undergraduate and graduate students in individual and group research projects. Expectations of time and productivity are mutually established a the beginning of each semester, and students are expected to meet regularly with me and/or graduate students in the lab to discuss their progress.

BIOL 3700, "Readings and Special Studies in Integrative Biology"

Introductory research credit for undergraduates. Students are introduced to the scientific method, gain a fluency in searching for and consuming scientific literature, learn basic lab techniques, and plan an independent research project.

BIOL 4700, "Undergraduate Research Problems"

Advanced, publication-oriented research credit for undergraduates. Students design and execute an independent research project with guidance and feedback through regular meetings with graduate students and PI. Additionally, undergraduate researchers present their work at a departmental and university-wide undergraduate research symposia.

BIOL 5000, "Research for Master's Thesis"

Master's-level research hours. Master's students and candidates pursue an original research project, including preparing a formal thesis proposal, conducting independent experiments, performing all requisite data analyses, and preparing a publishable manuscript product and an oral defense presentation.

BIOL 6000, "Research for PhD Dissertation"

Doctoral-level research credit. Doctoral students and candidates conduct several original research projects guided by a common theme in pursuit of advancing the fields of comparative, applied/conservation, or translational physiology. Work includes preparing and defending a formal dissertation proposal, conducting integrative independent experiments, performing all requisite data analyses, and preparing several publishable manuscript products and an oral defense presentation.