Novel primary literature-based alternative to comprehensive final examination for undergraduate virology course

Visualization of giant Mimivirus in a movie for biology classrooms

We have developed a new observation chamber for Mimivirus-infected Acanthamoeba to create dynamic visual teaching materials for virus education suitable for high school and university biology courses. We conducted experiments and captured a movie showcasing the infection process of Acanthamoeba cells by mimiviruses. In this educational film, we successfully recorded the active movement of healthy Acanthamoeba cells across the surface of a culture flask under an agarose gel. After Mimivirus infection, the movement of the Acanthamoeba cells gradually slowed and eventually stopped. This cessation coincided with the development of the Mimivirus virion factory, which began producing new virions on the surface of the host cells. Moreover, we captured continuous footage of a single cell throughout the viral proliferation process, thereby illustrating the viral proliferation in real time. This educational movie, which visually demonstrates the proliferation of Mimivirus within host cells, acts as an effective teaching tool. Moreover, it enhances students' understanding of virus proliferation mechanisms and highlights the biological significance of viruses, their impact on host cell fate, and their role in ecosystems.

Reading Primary Scientific Literature: Approaches for Teaching Students in the Undergraduate STEM Classroom

Teaching undergraduate students to read primary scientific literature (PSL) is cited as an important goal for many science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) classes, given a range of cognitive and affective benefits for students who read PSL. Consequently, there are a number of approaches and curricular interventions published in the STEM education literature on how to teach students to read PSL. These approaches vary widely in their instructional methods, target student demographic, required class time, and level of assessment demonstrating the method's efficacy. In this Essay, we conduct a systematic search to compile these approaches in an easily accessible manner for instructors, using a framework to sort the identified approaches by target level, time required, assessment population, and more. We also provide a brief review of the literature surrounding the reading of PSL in undergraduate STEM classrooms and conclude with some general recommendations for both instructors and education researchers on future areas of investigation.

Virology in the Classroom: Current Approaches and Challenges to Undergraduate- and Graduate-Level Virology Education

The pervasive effects of the current coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic are but one reason for educators to refocus their efforts on virology teaching. Additionally, it is critical to understand how viruses function and to elucidate the relationship between virus and host. An understanding of current virology education may improve pedagogical approaches for educating our students and trainees. Faculty who teach undergraduate microbiology indicate that approximately 10% of the course content features viruses; stand-alone virology courses are infrequently offered to undergraduates. Fortunately, virology taught to undergraduates includes foundational material; several approaches for delivery of lecture- and lab-based content exist. At the graduate education level, there is growing appreciation that an emphasis on logic, reasoning, inference, and statistics must be reintroduced into the curriculum to create a generation of scientists who have a greater capacity for creativity and innovation. Educators also need to remove barriers to student success, at all levels of education. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Virology, Volume 8 is September 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.