How JoVE Sci-Ed Videos Overcome English-Chinese Language Gap for Biochemistry Students

By adopting JoVE Science Education videos for her laboratory course, a ShanghaiTech University’s biochemistry instructor saves significant time and effort in class and during lesson preparations — while her students improve their English language skills.

THE CLASSROOM

After graduating from Xiamen University with a Ph.D. in chemical biology, Dr. Yujia Kang began to teach laboratory experiments at ShanghaiTech University’s life sciences school.

Relying on text-only teaching content typically won’t enable STEM students to grasp new protocols the first time round. And for Chinese (or any other non-English speaking) students, depending on English-only textbook makes protocol adoption even more complex and slow.

SOLUTION

Faced with these challenges, Dr. Yujia Kang selected JoVE Science Education videos. Her students find JoVE’s demonstrations are clear, and easy to watch and repeat. The videos are interesting for students, and produced according to the highest scientific standards.

The Chinese language translations are readily understood and comprehensively explain all the details of the methods being demonstrated — even to complete non-English speakers. Dr. Kang found that students did best by watching the Chinese version before watching the English version. This way, the students see and understand the protocol first. Subsequent viewing will then start to improve the students' grasp of scientific English.

Dr. Kang has seen the following benefits from JoVE Science Education videos:

1. Students learn more quickly than they otherwise would with a text-only explainer and in-class demonstrations.
2. Additionally, JoVE ensures students learn how to perform the protocols safely: This supports a more learning-friendly and relaxed lab atmosphere.
3. For each class taught, Dr. Kang saves 40 minutes in pre-class preparations and 30 minutes of actual classroom time.
4. While watching the captioned JoVE videos, the students become more proficient in English, building a foundation for further improvement in the language.