Summary
As a Principal Teaching Fellow in the Department of Life Sciences, my main activity is teaching my research interests of evolutionary biology, behavioural ecology, and population genetics to undergraduates and postgraduates. I am the module convenor of Year 2 Genetics and Behavioural Ecology and undertake fieldwork teaching on Ecosystems Field Skills. In the Final Year, I previously convened the African Biology Field Course module and run 10-week Research Projects, many in association with ZSL London Zoo. I give lectures to postgraduates on the Faculty of Medicine MSc in Genomic Medicine. Social media provides an informal platform for engaging with students as well the wider world beyond the 'ivory tower' and I tweet as @Magda_Chara.
I am the BSc Biological Sciences Year 2 convenor. Pastoral care is a high priority and I have a senior pastoral role as Deputy Senior Tutor.
Continuing development as an educator is important to keep abreast of innovation and best practice. I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and have an MEd in University Learning & Teaching. I conduct education research primarily to suggest improvements to teaching practice (such as using team-based learning to teach statistics), and to help students engage with feedback more effectively (through the use of a reflective ePortfolio). I am also interested in the transition to university level study, and role of self- and collective- efficacy in team-based learning. I am a member of the Imperial College STAR framework panel that reviews applications for fellowship of the HEA (Advance HE).
Outreach activities are essential to communicate science. I conduct outreach for primary and secondary schools to show science is full of wonder and encourage students to study STEM subjects at GCSE and A level, and Biological Sciences at university. I also run a stall at the annual family Bugs, Birds and Beasts Day at our Silwood Park Campus.
Examples of my research
The use of self-reflective ePortfolios to help use feedback more effectively through enabling a dialogic feedback process
Gender differences in the transition to university level studies
Use of team-based learning to teach statistics
Identification & population genetics of dipteran vectors of human diseases (e.g. malaria and river blindness)
Population variation and effects of B chromosomes (selfish genetic elements) in grasshoppers
Sexual selection on insect (grasshopper) mate recognition systems
Maintenance of alternate reproductive male morphs in bulb mites
Other Significant Activities
I am a Board member of the Imperial College Teaching Fellow Network
I am a member of the Department of Life Sciences:
- Teaching Committee and its sub-committee for Widening Participation
- Exam Board and its sub-committee dealing with Mitigating Circumstances
- Student-Staff Committee
- Former member of the undergraduate Admissions Panel and the Education, Diversity and Inclusion Committee
Publications
Journals
Hui L, Ippolito K, Sarsfield M, et al., 2023, Using a self-reflective ePortfolio and feedback dialogue to understand and address problematic feedback expectations, Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, ISSN:0260-2938
Luke SH, Roy HE, Thomas CD, et al., 2023, Grand challenges in entomology: Priorities for action in the coming decades., Insect Conserv Divers, Vol:16, ISSN:1752-458X, Pages:173-189
Chiu Y-LT, Wong B, Charalambous M, 2021, ‘It’s for others to judge’: what influences students’ construction of the ideal student?, Journal of Further and Higher Education, Vol:45, ISSN:0309-877X, Pages:1-14
Cooke J, Araya Y, Bacon KL, et al., 2021, Teaching and learning in ecology: a horizon scan of emerging challenges and solutions, Oikos, Vol:130, ISSN:0030-1299, Pages:15-28
Charalambous M, Hodge JA, Ippolito K, 2021, Statistically significant learning experiences: towards building self-efficacy of undergraduate statistics learners through team-based learning, Educational Action Research, Vol:29, ISSN:0965-0792, Pages:226-244