Edging into the future: education in microbiology and beyond

We can do it - Empowering learning

We all need to adapt constantly in order to thrive in our ever-changing complex world. Thus, education and educators need to empower learners to develop a mindset and skills set of lifelong and lifewide learning. Papers from around the globe, reflecting the current drivers in education, were published in the FEMS Microbiology Letters virtual Thematic Issue 'Empowering learning' in October 2023. Its content is reviewed here to provide the context for further discussions within the professional community. The focus is on being inclusive, on lowering and removing barriers to learning, and fostering a sense of belonging. So learning communities can be established and connected in support of learning with and from each other for societal benefit, and this is discussed. Authentic learning approaches are highlighted with respect to the inherent opportunities for learners to take ownership for their learning, yet learn collaboratively, and develop resilience over time. Supporting learners in becoming self-regulated and realizing their full potential is truly worthwhile.

A guide to pedagogical research for scientists from a biological sciences background

How we teach science and engage with the public, particularly in fast moving subjects such as microbiology, are constantly being reflected upon, improved and innovated. This has led to a significant increase of pedagogy publications by microbiology educators in higher education that have had a positive impact on teaching quality, student retention, progression and course satisfaction as well as how science is communicated with the public. In this paper we describe the different types of pedagogical manuscripts that biological scientists could write and the benefits that derive from doing so. We provide a glossary of terms often seen in educational literature. Project design and qualitative and quantitative research methodologies are discussed, highlighting ethical and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) considerations. Suggestions are made regarding how to network with colleagues who are also keen on writing pedagogical papers as well as examples of good practice. Lastly, a handy how-to-start guide aims to help with first steps. We hope that this paper will be a useful survival manual for colleagues who wish to engage in exciting pedagogical research in the field of microbiology and the broader biological sciences.

Recall of Prior Knowledge in Medical Microbiology Among Medical Interns: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Assessment in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND

Retention of basic biomedical sciences knowledge is of great importance in medical practice. This study aimed to provide some insights into medical interns' ability to recall theoretical knowledge of medical microbiology and to explore factors that affect its retention.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study conducted between January and March 2019, an anonymized questionnaire with 10 validated multiple-choice questions about medical microbiology was distributed as hard copies to test the ability to recall knowledge of Saudi medical interns in three tertiary training hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

RESULTS

A total of 300 medical interns [164 females (54.7%) and 136 males (45.3%)], in three major tertiary medical care centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, voluntarily participated in the study. Almost a third of participants, 107 (36.4%), graduated from medical schools adopting a traditional curriculum, whereas 184 (63.6%) graduated from medical schools adopting problem-based learning (PBL) instructional approach. The overall mean score out of 10 marks was 3.9±1.8 with almost 82% failures scoring less than six marks. Both total and pass/fail grades were significantly associated with interns who graduated from private colleges. Scores were not significantly associated with any of the investigated parameters except type of college (governmental vs private) with a p-value of 0.049.

CONCLUSION

The current study revealed an overall poor recall of knowledge in microbiology among interns. Our findings suggest a need for a careful revision of curriculum to correct deficiencies, particularly in teaching medical microbiology. Integration of basic sciences is required as well as aligning teaching of basic medical sciences with clinical skills.

Using alternative teaching and learning approaches to deliver clinical microbiology during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic has had significant impacts upon higher education teaching. Clinical microbiology teaching is primarily focused on a combination of practical skill development and didactic delivery of content. In the pandemic, the absence of in-person teaching has led to educators adapting in-person content for online platforms and delivery. This commentary covers alternative innovative and engaging teaching approaches to deliver clinical microbiology content during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Impact of Experiential Learning in Host-Pathogen Research on Medical Students' Interests and Attitudes towards Microbiology and Immunology

There is a shortage of residents in the infectious diseases (IDs) specialty due to a lack of interest in this field. If the choice of an ID subspecialty is linked to medical school experiences, then how we teach microbiology and immunology could be a factor in the declining interest in the field. We sought to determine whether experiential learning activities on host-pathogen research might improve students' interests and attitudes toward medical microbiology and immunology. Experiential learning of medical students undertaking research project on microbiology/immunology leads to subjective attitude changes (i.e., increased science motivation, confidence, and knowledge) and the development of a new social niche. It also lets students learn new scientific techniques and use novel technological devices, which have an impact in the experiential learning of basic sciences such as microbiology and immunology. The results of this study support the idea of a beneficial effect of experiential learning, which may rekindle interest of medical students in the field of infectious diseases.

The Future of Infectious Diseases Education

The infectious diseases (ID) specialty continues to be in crisis due to a lack of interest by residents in the recruitment pool. It is possible that enhancing and innovating how microbiology is taught in medical school could increase the interest in ID. We need to improve teaching of preclinical medical microbiology and immunology by incorporating advancements in education and learning technologies to reignite the interest in the field. The shortage of ID specialists has important implications in our fight against ID threats such as the current COVID-19 global pandemic. In order to address this problem, we need to perform extensive research to identify the issues that medical learners and trainees are facing as they progress through their medical education towards the ID specialty.

Be prepared - Learning for the future

Forward-looking papers from around the globe, addressing themes of current educational practice, were published in the FEMS Microbiology Letters virtual Thematic Issue 'Learning for the future' in October 2019. Its dynamic content is reviewed here to facilitate discussions within the professional community. The focus is on preparing generations of 21st century professionals as lifelong learners for yet unknown working environments and demands. Active and authentic learning is covered in various contexts from interactive lectures, via innovative tasks exploring the scientific method to conducting research over a distance. Naturally, authentic assessment features. Moreover, authentic learning is taken out of the classroom into the community as service learning for students to develop skills and see unexpected Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths career opportunities. Approaches to public engagement with science are presented including through art. Art is also brought into the classroom, as well as educational games, to foster creativity. Additionally, sharing science with large audiences on social media is discussed. Future-proofing education requires being innovative and imaginative. This comes with challenges and risks, but being prepared is worth it.

Adopt a Bacterium - an active and collaborative learning experience in microbiology based on social media

The “Adopt a Bacterium” project is based on the use of social network as a tool in Microbiology undergraduate education, improving student learning and encouraging students to participate in collaborative learning. The approach involves active participation of both students and teachers, emphasizing knowledge exchange, based on widely used social media. Students were organized in groups and asked to adopt a specific bacterial genus and, subsequently, submit posts about “adopted genus”. The formative assessment is based on posting information on Facebook®, and the summative assessment involves presentation of seminars about the adopted theme. To evaluate the project, students filled out three anonymous and voluntary surveys. Most of the students enjoyed the activities and positively evaluated the experience. A large amount of students declared a change in their attitude towards the way they processed information, especially regarding the use of scientific sources. Finally, we evaluated knowledge retention six months after the end of the course and students were able to recall relevant Microbiology concepts. Our results suggest that the “Adopt a Bacterium” project represents a useful strategy in Microbiology learning and may be applied to other academic fields.