“We shouldn’t retreat into our own shells, but we also shouldn’t expect ourselves to go from zero to a hundred”: an interview with Sylvie Pavloková

Can you briefly introduce the subjects you teach?

I teach two types of subjects. One group consists of laboratory subjects, primarily physical chemistry. The other group includes computer-based subjects, such as working with Excel, statistics, and similar topics.

Beyond the subject-specific knowledge required to pass the subject, what competencies do you aim to develop in your students?

I really enjoy focusing on developing such competencies. Communication skills are especially important to me — being able to express oneself, both verbally and in writing, and refining both forms of expression. I try to incorporate activities that involve working with one’s own motivation and the ability to express oneself even in situations where anxiety is present or when someone is a deep introvert. I’ve noticed that more and more students are coming to class with similar challenges.

Can you explain how you work on this, both personally and with your students?

I try to relate this to students through my own experience. When I started teaching 11 years ago, it was a necessary evil for me. I didn’t want to teach at all — I came to the university because I wanted to do science and stay hidden in the lab (laughs). Teaching really helped me open up, and I no longer struggle as much, especially with speaking and presenting in front of larger groups. So I emphasise this process through my own example. Of course, I tell students that it doesn’t have to take ten years like it did for me. Even if some progress faster, it’s still important to work on it. I say we shouldn’t retreat into our own shells, but we also shouldn’t expect ourselves to go from zero to a hundred. Everyone progresses differently, and that’s why I try to make students aware of every success. In class, I even use “unpopular” activities like directly asking students, whether at their desks or at the blackboard. I mainly try to emphasise why it’s important and create a safe enough atmosphere so that it’s as comfortable as possible for students. Still, I point out that for some, it may be a bigger challenge than for others, and that they shouldn’t compare themselves to each other. I make sure to give everyone a chance to speak — I don’t want it to be that only the few active or extroverted students speak during the class. I also allow for the possibility that students might not know the answer, but I encourage them to verbalise and comment on their response. For example: “I don’t know because I forgot,” or “I don’t know because I don’t understand the question,” etc. As a teacher, it’s much easier for me to work with such responses.

You actively seek feedback from students outside of the standard course opinion poll. How do you do that and why?

I started doing this two years ago. At that point, the standard course opinion poll in the IS system didn’t seem sufficient for understanding what I needed to improve my teaching. So I began creating my own tailored questionnaires for each subject and seminar group. I choose questions based on what’s most pressing for me as a teacher and what seemed to resonate most during the course. I give these questionnaires to students mainly at the end of the semester, and they focus on what happened in class, what students actually learned, and how they perceived the process. I also expect metacognition and feedback on their own learning. I ask what they would recommend improving in the course in the future. I respond to the questionnaire results with videos that I upload to the interactive syllabi. I want students to be informed about the results because I believe that anyone who fills out a questionnaire wants to hear how it turned out, what their classmates said, and my reaction. I also try to give them practical recommendations.

What kind of recommendations?

For example, when someone complains or points out in their response that they didn’t like being directly asked a question or a certain form of feedback I gave, I try to talk about how such experiences can be beneficial. I already discuss this during lessons, but I find it important to support students’ reflection at the end of the semester as well. I also try to guide them to think about these things in the future — not just in my courses, but throughout their studies and later in life. And when it comes to negative (or not entirely positive) feedback, I aim in my video responses to lead by example — so that students can see how such feedback can be handled.

What innovations have you introduced in your teaching?

For us, the biggest innovation was the QuIS system, which we immediately started using together with my colleague Dr. Zeman, with whom I collaborate on teaching several subjects. QuIS has helped me a lot in leading lab sessions as a flipped classroom. Students study the necessary information at home from available materials — whether texts or videos — and come to class knowing we’ll start with QuIS. Through QuIS, I identify the biggest weak spots and try to clarify those points. Instead of explaining everything, I use the time more efficiently this way.

Is QuIS graded at the beginning of the lesson, or is it just for your information to see whether students understood the materials?

It’s only for my information. I try to ensure that the answers are honest and that students don’t copy from each other, so I can get a realistic picture. I also deliberately include questions in QuIS based on the most common misinterpretations of the topic, which I’ve collected from students over the years. I then highlight these problematic areas and clarify them. That’s why QuIS isn’t graded, and I think it works well this way.