Courses Based on iGEM/BIOMOD Competitions Are the Ideal Format for Research-Based Learning of Xenobiology

Perceptions of Competition-Based Learning After a Brief Experience at a National Surgical Meeting

BACKGROUND

Competition-based learning (CBL) facilitates learning through competitions. At the 2022 & 2023 Annual SAGES meetings, we evaluated a CBL experience (TOP GUN Shootout) developed from a modified version of the previously validated TOP GUN Laparoscopic Skills and Suturing Program. The project sought to evaluate the TOP GUN Shootout's (TGS) ability to enhance participant engagement in pursuit of laparoscopic surgical skills.

METHODS

Participants competed in the TGS. Their scores (time and errors) were recorded for: Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery Peg Pass, Cup Drop Task, and Intracorporeal Suturing. All participants completed a 10-question satisfaction survey on a 7-point Likert scale, with questions assessing 3 domains: (1) capability/confidence in MIS skill performance prior to the competition; (2) applicability and satisfaction with TGS's capacity to develop MIS skills; and (3) interest in seeking additional MIS training and appropriateness of CBL in MIS training. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate these areas.

RESULTS

Overall, 121 participants completed the TGS, of whom 84 (69%) completed the satisfaction survey. The average age was 32.9 years, 67% were males. On average (+/- SD), participant satisfaction was 5.04 (+/- 2.08) for Domain 1, 6.20 (+/- 1.28) for Domain 2, and 6.58 (+/- .95) for Domain 3.

CONCLUSION

Participants described an overall lack of confidence in their MIS skills prior to the 2022-2023 Annual SAGES conference. Participants felt that this brief CBL experience, aided in the development of their MIS skills. Furthermore, this brief CBL experience may inspire learners to seek out further training of their MIS skills.

A toolbox for digitally enhanced teaching in synthetic biology

The global pandemic of COVID-19 has forced educational provision to suddenly shift to a digital environment all around the globe. During these extraordinary times of teaching and learning both the challenges and the opportunities of embedding technologically enhanced education permanently became evident. Even though reinforced by constraints due to the pandemic, teaching through digital tools increases the portfolio of approaches to reach learning outcomes in general. In order to reap the full benefits, this Minireview displays various initiatives and tools for distance education in the area of Synthetic Biology in higher education while taking into account specific constraints of teaching Synthetic Biology from a distance, such as collaboration, laboratory and practical experiences. The displayed teaching resources can benefit current and future educators and raise awareness about a diversified inventory of teaching formats as a starting point to reflect upon one's own teaching and its further advancement.

Advancing Undergraduate Synthetic Biology Education: Insights from a Canadian iGEM Student Perspective

The last two decades have seen vigorous activity in synthetic biology research and ever-increasing applications of its technologies. However, pedagogical research pertaining to teaching synthetic biology is scarce, especially when compared to other science and engineering disciplines. Within Canada there are only three universities that offer synthetic biology programs; two of which are at the undergraduate level. Rather than take place in formal academic settings, many Canadian undergraduate students are introduced to synthetic biology through participation in the annual International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition. Although the iGEM competition has had a transformative impact on synthetic biology training in other nations, the impact in Canada has been relatively modest. Consequently, the iGEM competition is still a major setting for synthetic biology education in Canada. To promote further development of synthetic biology education, we surveyed undergraduate students from the Canadian iGEM design teams of 2019. We extracted insights from these data using qualitative analysis to provide recommendations for best teaching practices in synthetic biology undergraduate education, which we describe through our proposed Framework for Transdisciplinary Synthetic Biology Education (FTSBE).