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Baudin PV, Sacksteder RE, Worthington AK, Voitiuk K, Ly VT, Hoffman RN, Elliott MA, Parks DF, Ward R, Torres-Montoya S, Amend F, Montellano Duran N, Vargas PA, Martinez G, Ramirez SM, Alvarado-Arnez LE, Ehrlich D, Rosen YM, Breevoort A, Schouten T, Kurniawan S, Haussler D, Teodorescu M, Mostajo-Radji MA. Cloud-controlled microscopy enables remote project-based biology education in underserved Latinx communities. Heliyon 2022; 8:e11596. [PMID: 36439758 PMCID: PMC9681640 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Project-based learning (PBL) has long been recognized as an effective way to teach complex biology concepts. However, not all institutions have the resources to facilitate effective project-based coursework for students. We have developed a framework for facilitating PBL using remote-controlled internet-connected microscopes. Through this approach, one lab facility can host an experiment for many students around the world simultaneously. Experiments on this platform can be run on long timescales and with materials that are typically unavailable to high school classrooms. This allows students to perform novel research projects rather than just repeating standard classroom experiments. To investigate the impact of this program, we designed and ran six user studies with students worldwide. All experiments were hosted in Santa Cruz and San Francisco, California, with observations and decisions made remotely by the students using their personal computers and cellphones. In surveys gathered after the experiments, students reported increased excitement for science and a greater desire to pursue a career in STEM. This framework represents a novel, scalable, and effective PBL approach that has the potential to democratize biology and STEM education around the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre V. Baudin
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
- Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
- Live Cell Biotechnology Discovery Lab, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Raina E. Sacksteder
- Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Atesh K. Worthington
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
- Institute for the Biology of Stem Cells, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Kateryna Voitiuk
- Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
- Live Cell Biotechnology Discovery Lab, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Victoria T. Ly
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
- Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
- Live Cell Biotechnology Discovery Lab, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Ryan N. Hoffman
- Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
- Live Cell Biotechnology Discovery Lab, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Matthew A.T. Elliott
- Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
- Live Cell Biotechnology Discovery Lab, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - David F. Parks
- Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
- Live Cell Biotechnology Discovery Lab, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | | | - Sebastian Torres-Montoya
- Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
- Live Cell Biotechnology Discovery Lab, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Finn Amend
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
- Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
- Live Cell Biotechnology Discovery Lab, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | | | - Paola A. Vargas
- Biotechnology, Universidad Catolica Boliviana San Pablo, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia
| | - Guadalupe Martinez
- Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Sandra M. Ramirez
- Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | | | - Drew Ehrlich
- Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
- Live Cell Biotechnology Discovery Lab, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
- Department of Computational Media, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Yohei M. Rosen
- Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
- Live Cell Biotechnology Discovery Lab, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Arnar Breevoort
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Tallulah Schouten
- Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
- Live Cell Biotechnology Discovery Lab, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Sri Kurniawan
- Live Cell Biotechnology Discovery Lab, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
- Department of Computational Media, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - David Haussler
- Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
- Live Cell Biotechnology Discovery Lab, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Mircea Teodorescu
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
- Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
- Live Cell Biotechnology Discovery Lab, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Mohammed A. Mostajo-Radji
- Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
- Live Cell Biotechnology Discovery Lab, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
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