Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education最新文献

We present a laboratory module that uses isolation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria from locally collected stream water samples to introduce undergraduate students to basic microbiological culture-based and molecular techniques. This module also educates them on the global public health threat of antibiotic-resistant organisms. Through eight laboratory sessions, students are involved in quality testing of water sources from their neighborhoods, followed by isolation of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae. By the end of the module, students should be able to isolate Enterobacteriaceae from the environment using selective and differential media, identify isolates using biochemical tests, characterize antibiotic resistance phenotypes using Kirby Bauer and MIC tests, and evaluate the presence of select beta-lactamase genes of interest using PCR. To complement laboratory sessions, students participated in a weekly flipped classroom session with collaborative peer discussions and activities to reinforce concepts applied in the laboratory. Learning outcomes were measured over four semesters with concept checks, in-lecture activities, exams, and laboratory reports. We hypothesized that more than 50% of the student population would achieve each learning objective through the implementation of this authentic research laboratory module. Here, we highlight specific questions used to assess learning objective comprehension and demonstrate that each learning objective was achieved by 65%-100% of the student population. We present a ready-to-adapt module with flexible resources that can be implemented in courses across disciplines in biology, microbiology, environmental sciences, and public health.

New approaches to microbiology education are needed to ensure equitable representation in microbiology and to build literacy in microbiology and science broadly. To address this goal, we developed a course held at the collegiate level that uniquely integrated microbiology, Indigenous studies, science and technology studies, and arts and performance. The course participants included students in 12 majors across science, engineering, humanities, and arts. The different disciplines of the course intersected around Inuit fermented foods as the basis for discussions on fundamental microbiological principles, the scientific method, food sovereignty, and Indigenous peoples' rights. A diverse array of activities was included, ranging from lectures in microbiology and fermentation, a sauerkraut-making lab, a walk through the Native American contemplative garden, a workshop on Inuit drum making and dance, as well as a performance by Inuit-soul group Pamyua. We propose that a radically interdisciplinary approach and a human rights framework in microbiology education can be a way to enhance microbiology and science literacy for a diverse group of students.

In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) courses. These courses provide research opportunities for many more students than are typically exposed to traditional independent research experiences, including women, historically underrepresented groups in science, and non-traditional students. However, the benefits for faculty who teach CURE courses have been less well documented, potentially discouraging faculty from offering such courses. Reports describing the benefits faculty can accrue from developing and teaching CURE courses could incentivize more faculty to develop CURE courses. In this perspective article, we summarize the implementation of three biochemistry CURE courses, highlighting some of the benefits faculty may experience. We also propose some points to consider when designing CURE courses with realistic expectations for a semester-long research experience to provide a framework for instructors who are considering their own CURE development.

We hosted a nine-week NIH-funded summer undergraduate research experience in Environmental Health Sciences, the New College Environmental Health Science Scholars program, in which undergraduate students who were rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors receive both professional development and mentored research opportunities. In addition to this standard model of a summer research program, we added an additional professional development and skill-building activity, a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) performed by the whole group. Students designed and carried out an experiment in the CURE research project looking at the relationship between soil elemental content and sampling site location. They worked collaboratively over several days on experimental design, the experiment itself, data analysis, and finally, poster design for dissemination. The CURE is intentionally different from any mentored research experiences so that students obtain additional and varied research skills from the summer program. Qualitative and quantitative feedback was positive. Additionally, students worked with different students than those in their research lab, broadening their network. In conclusion, a CURE embedded in a summer research program is an effective pedagogical tool for science and additional skill building and enriches an existing summer research program.

The Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) model can be used to explore how faculty prioritize learning about and adopting new pedagogical approaches. Here, we use the DOI framework to contextualize biology faculty perceptions of a professional development (PD) program designed to help them create a full semester course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) class at a large, public comprehensive university. PD sessions included exploring self-reflexive identity while fostering inclusive classroom spaces through understanding and interrupting implicit bias and microaggressions. This qualitative study sought to determine 11 biology faculty members' beliefs about the influence of their year-long PD on their CURE development and teaching practices. Findings suggest that faculty were motivated to teach CUREs for a variety of reasons. A common incentive was integrating research into a CURE to bring their passion into their classroom and to engage more students in research. This may be particularly important at institutions where faculty have a heavy teaching load. Faculty also reported modifying their teaching in their CUREs and other courses to be more inclusive and equitable. The importance of peer interactions in the PD was emphasized repeatedly as faculty learned from experts, the literature, and faculty who had already developed a CURE. Our results illustrate that a community of practice structure can enhance the learning aspect of the community, helping faculty consider their implementation of inclusive, equitable, and high-impact practices as an ongoing educational process for themselves and emphasizing the importance of reflection and iteration in a DOI framework.

The 2011 Vision & Change report outlined several recommendations for transforming undergraduate biology education, sparking multiple pedagogical reform efforts. Among these was the Promoting Active Learning and Mentoring (PALM) network, an NSF-funded program that provided mentorship and training to instructors on implementing active learning in the classroom. Here, we provide a perspective on how members of the biology education community in PALM view the recommendations of Vision & Change, drawing upon our experiences both as members of PALM and as leaders of an associated project funded by another NSF grant that hosted PALM alumni at various conferences. These efforts have allowed us to gain insight into how our alumni think of Vision & Change, including how they interpret its recommendations, the challenges and opportunities that they view for implementing these recommendations, and the areas they see as critical to be addressed in future national reports for supporting undergraduate biology education. We synthesize these voices here, providing perspectives from a diverse group of biology instructors on what they think about Vision & Change, and provide recommendations for the biology education community based upon these PALM community voices.

Responsible conduct of research and ethics are key components of microbiology and are carefully considered at all steps from project conception, design, data analysis to publication, and post-publication use of samples. Yet stand-alone courses covering these topics are not always core components of undergraduate biomedical education curricula. Here, we describe a classroom activity for undergraduate students designed to promote increased understanding of ethics and experimental design in biomedical research.

Many educational institutions transitioned to digital distance-based learning and assessment formats in 2020 due to the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. This shift has often been associated with concerns about increased student cheating and heightened stress. In this study, we compared the major course assessment grades of students in a microbiology course delivered through a digital distance-based format, including a take-home examination and a viva voce examination during 2020, 2021, and 2022 (n = 127) with those who took the course in a traditional, live, in-person format with an in-class examination in 2019 (n = 45). Additionally, an extensive course evaluation survey was conducted to assess student satisfaction with the different course formats. In 2019, the pass rate was 27%, which increased significantly to 63% (P < 0.001) when provided as a distance-based course during 2020/2021/2022. The survey results indicated that most students appreciated the digital distance-based format and considered it beneficial for their learning. While some students found the take-home examination to be challenging and the viva voce examination stressful, others viewed the take-home examination as beneficial for their learning and the oral follow-up as a valuable opportunity for further learning. The combination of digital lectures and quizzes enabled students to learn at their own pace and convenience, which can lead to greater engagement and contribute to higher pass rates. Take-home examinations promote deeper learning as students must independently find answers to questions. When these examinations were followed by viva voce examinations, students were given the chance to elaborate on their responses, thereby gaining additional insights and reinforcing their learning during the examination process.

The ASM Curriculum Guidelines recommend that undergraduate microbiology courses should cover a wide variety of content ideally utilizing active learning approaches, which promote participation and enhance student success. However, in content-heavy courses, it can be easier to revert to traditional lecture-based teaching. Here, we describe a case series designed to increase student engagement and connect course concepts by exploring a single microbe in the context of different learning objectives. In this case series, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is used due to its fascinating history, well-described biology, and current clinical relevance, as well as recently described advances in creating a vaccine for RSV. This four-part case series can be embedded across several units of a general microbiology course as individual "explorations," and employs multiple, evidence-based pedagogical approaches including case-based learning, engaging with primary literature, jigsaw strategy, analysis of real-world data sets, and whole-class discussion. Each exploration is designed to cover or expand on key concepts in microbiology, including milestones in the history of the field, Koch's postulates and the germ theory of disease, the discovery of viruses, virus structure and replication, clinical epidemiology, and vaccines. Throughout the course, students work individually, in pairs, and in small groups to complete the activities, which take place predominantly during class. Student feedback indicates that they enjoy these activities as an alternative to traditional lecturing. This case series enables students to build connections between course concepts, assemble higher-order thinking about diverse topics in Microbiology, and apply their learning to real-world examples and scenarios.