1
|
McKee F, Wolf JD, Simon S, Floyd JH. Teaching transferable skills in teamwork, accountability, goal setting, writing, and problem-solving in a non-major microbiology lab: the unknown bacteria experiment redefined. JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY & BIOLOGY EDUCATION 2023; 24:e00135-23. [PMID: 38107995 PMCID: PMC10720494 DOI: 10.1128/jmbe.00135-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
College to Career is a phrase that we often use to describe the skills and abilities that students should achieve while preparing for college and/or careers. To help prepare our students for their future careers, we developed a microbiology laboratory curriculum based on factors identified to improve college-to-career readiness. These factors include content knowledge, analyzing and interpreting data, accountability, goal setting, and teamwork. At the core of the design are inquiry and problem-based learning. This approach allows students to actively engage in the scientific process while collaborating with classmates and learning technical and transferable career skills. The curriculum includes microbiology laboratory skills, including plating, serial dilutions, and biochemical tests, with integrated opportunities for students to engage in critical thinking, analysis and interpretation of data, teamwork, goal setting, decision-making, and scientific writing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Felicia McKee
- Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Josef D. Wolf
- Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Samantha Simon
- Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Jeanetta H. Floyd
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, Washington D.C, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Schmidt JM, Porter JT, Rivera-Amill V, Appleyard CB. Promoting crucial team building, collaboration, and communication skills in graduate students through interactive retreats. ADVANCES IN PHYSIOLOGY EDUCATION 2023; 47:919-929. [PMID: 37823189 PMCID: PMC10854806 DOI: 10.1152/advan.00125.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Biomedical graduate students receive intensive training in their scientific area of interest yet need additional skills for successful scientific careers. Our aim was to promote team building, improve collaborations and enhance communication skills. An off-site yearly retreat was organized for the graduate students in our NIH-funded Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) graduate training program. Retreat themes were addressed through short presentations, case studies, live podcasts, webinars, focus groups, role-play, and breakout sessions with various team building exercises to practice communication skills and identify abilities, knowledge, values, and behaviors. Trainees gave short presentations and served as discussion leaders on topics related to the central theme. Expert guest speakers participated in discussion sessions with the trainees. Trainees evaluated the retreats at the end. A total of 48 trainees, 12 RISE Program faculty and staff, and 26 external speakers from industry, academia, media/journalism, the arts, psychology, and holistic medical fields participated over 9 years. The overall average benefit of the in-person retreats was rated 4.80 on a Likert scale of 1-5 by trainees. Trainees particularly enjoyed the informal interactions with program faculty, staff, and fellow trainees. They appreciated the opportunity to learn soft skills, such as interpersonal communication, conflict resolution, and leadership. Two additional retreats conducted virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic were perceived as less beneficial. We conclude that off-site interactive retreats are a valuable tool for enhancing soft skills and a sense of team identity in a biomedical sciences graduate program, while covering important issues related to scientific careers.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Off-site interactive science-related retreats are a valuable tool for enhancing soft skills and sense of team identity in a biomedical sciences graduate program, while covering important issues related to pursuing a career in science. There are many perceived benefits, so we encourage other training programs to include a similar type of regular activity in students' training with the goal of improving trainee well-being and supporting their academic and research productivity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jean Marie Schmidt
- PHSU RISE Graduate Training Program, Ponce Health Sciences University and Ponce Research Institute, Ponce, Puerto Rico
| | - James T Porter
- PHSU RISE Graduate Training Program, Ponce Health Sciences University and Ponce Research Institute, Ponce, Puerto Rico
- Department of Basic Sciences, Ponce Health Sciences University and Ponce Research Institute, Ponce, Puerto Rico
| | - Vanessa Rivera-Amill
- PHSU RISE Graduate Training Program, Ponce Health Sciences University and Ponce Research Institute, Ponce, Puerto Rico
- Department of Basic Sciences, Ponce Health Sciences University and Ponce Research Institute, Ponce, Puerto Rico
| | - Caroline B Appleyard
- PHSU RISE Graduate Training Program, Ponce Health Sciences University and Ponce Research Institute, Ponce, Puerto Rico
- Department of Basic Sciences, Ponce Health Sciences University and Ponce Research Institute, Ponce, Puerto Rico
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Sanchez JM. Are basic laboratory skills adequately acquired by undergraduate science students? How control quality methodologies applied to laboratory lessons may help us to find the answer. Anal Bioanal Chem 2022; 414:3551-3559. [PMID: 35290474 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-022-03992-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Graphical abstract
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan M Sanchez
- Chemistry Department, Universitat de Girona, Aurèlia Capmany, 69, 17003, Girona, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Zafonte R, Borg-Stein J, Dillingham T, Esquenazi A, Francisco G, Kim C, Morgenroth D, Paganoni S, Rensing B. Research and Industry Partnerships in Physiatry. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2021; 100:990-995. [PMID: 33782275 DOI: 10.1097/phm.0000000000001748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT The Association of Academic Physiatrists, the home of academic physiatry, is interested in advancing industry partnerships in research among academic physiatrists. There are limited existing resources that outline opportunities for academic physiatrists in engaging the translational research continuum through industry partnerships and the skill sets that academic physiatrists need to successfully navigate these partnerships. In 2019, then President of the Association of Academic Physiatrists, John Chae, MD, ME, assembled a group of interested physician-scientists in physical medicine and rehabilitation to form the Research and Industry Partnerships Task Force to address this problem. The Task Force implemented a live educational session titled "Collaborating with industry" at Physiatry '19, the Annual Meeting of the Association of Academic Physiatrists held in Puerto Rico. To extend the reach of this valuable information, the Task Force is creating resources that can be easily distributed and accessed by all physiatrists. The goal of this white paper is to provide a roadmap to help academic physiatrists begin to navigate the field of academia-industry relationships with the ultimate goal of accelerating discovery for the benefit of physiatry and rehabilitation patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ross Zafonte
- From the Association of Academic Physiatrists Research and Industry Partnerships in Physiatry Task Force, Owings Mills, Maryland
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Bruns HA, Wisenden BD, Vanniasinkam T, Taylor RT, Elliott SL, Sparks-Thissen RL, Justement LB, Pandey S. Inside the Undergraduate Immunology Classroom: Current Practices that Provide a Framework for Curriculum Consensus. JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY & BIOLOGY EDUCATION 2021; 22:22.1.8. [PMID: 33584948 PMCID: PMC7861212 DOI: 10.1128/jmbe.v22i1.2269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Although immunological research has become increasingly important in recent decades for understanding infectious and immune-mediated diseases, immunological pedagogy at the undergraduate level has lagged behind in reports of evidence-based scholarship. To address the need for a renewed emphasis on immunology education and to describe the current status of undergraduate education in immunology, an online survey of instructors with experience in teaching immunology was conducted. The survey investigated the effects of instructors' level of teaching experience, target student population, and course components on the emphasis given to certain immunology subtopics in their courses. Instructor teaching experience and current role in teaching influenced the proportion of time allotted to lab techniques, clinical topics, and evolutionary aspects, but type of institution (undergraduate and graduate degree-granting institutions) did not affect course content or emphasis on subtopics. Topics that received the greatest emphasis were the adaptive immune system, the innate immune system, host-pathogen interactions, and molecular mechanisms. Vaccines, hypersensitivity, autoimmunity, and essential immunology techniques were ranked slightly lower, while topics such as evolution, metabolism and antibody purification received the least emphasis. Inclusion of a lab component increased time given to lab-related and clinical topics but did not affect the perceived importance of various scientific competencies. These data describe current curricular practices of instructors who have experience teaching immunology and inform curricular priorities and course design frameworks for undergraduate immunology education.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heather A. Bruns
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294
| | - Brian D. Wisenden
- Biosciences Department, Minnesota State University Moorhead, Moorhead, MN 56563
| | - Thiru Vanniasinkam
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Charles Sturt University, NSW 2650, Australia
| | - Rebekah T. Taylor
- Department of Biology, Frostburg State University, Frostburg, MD 21502
| | - Samantha L. Elliott
- Center for Inclusive Teaching & Learning and Department of Biology, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, St. Mary’s City, MD 20686
| | | | - Louis B. Justement
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294
| | - Sumali Pandey
- Biosciences Department, Minnesota State University Moorhead, Moorhead, MN 56563
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Ochoa SD, Dores MR, Allen JM, Tran T, Osman M, Vázquez Castellanos NP, Trejo J, Zayas RM. A modular laboratory course using planarians to study genes involved in tissue regeneration. BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY EDUCATION : A BIMONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL UNION OF BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2019; 47:547-559. [PMID: 31194289 PMCID: PMC6731126 DOI: 10.1002/bmb.21259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Revised: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Undergraduate research experiences are excellent opportunities to engage students in science alongside experienced scientists, but at large institutions, it is challenging to accommodate all students. To address and engage a larger number of students, we developed a modular laboratory course based on the course-based undergraduate research experiences model. This new course was integrated with the scientific aims of a research laboratory studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying tissue regeneration in planarians. In this course, students were asked to identify genes with roles in planarian biology. Students analyzed and cloned an assigned gene, determined its expression pattern in situ and examined its function in regeneration. Additionally, we developed critical thinking and scientific communication skills by incorporating activities focused on critical concepts. Students obtained high quality primary data and were successful in completing and mastering the course learning outcomes. They benefitted by developing basic research skills, learning to perform, trouble-shooting experiments, reading and critically analyzing primary literature, and using the information to defend and explain their experimental results. Through this course, students also increased their confidence and ability to perform independent scientific research. The course was designed to make it accessible to the community to implement and adapt as appropriate in diverse institutions. © 2019 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 47(5):547-559, 2019.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stacy D Ochoa
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Michael R Dores
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Department of Biology, Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York
| | - John M Allen
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
| | - Tuan Tran
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
| | - Maryan Osman
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
| | | | - JoAnn Trejo
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Ricardo M Zayas
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
| |
Collapse
|