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Moreno ACR, Taschner NP, Piantola MAF, Armellini BRC, Lellis-Santos C, de Cássia Café Ferreira R. Real Lab Day: undergraduate scientific hands-on activity as an authentic learning opportunity in microbiology education. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2023:fnad062. [PMID: 37385827 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnad062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Traditional lab classes of microbiology are common in several educational institutions, which can provide a learning experience disconnected from the myriad of experiments performed in research laboratories. Attempting to promote an authentic learning opportunity of the functioning of a bacteriology research laboratory, we developed the 'Real-Lab-Day', a multimodal learning experience to develop competencies, abilities, critical analysis, and teamwork skills for undergraduate students. Students were divided into groups and assigned to research laboratories to be mentored by graduate students, to design and carry out scientific assays. Undergraduate students were introduced to methods such as cellular and molecular assays, flow cytometry, and fluorescence microscopy, as tools to address scientific questions about bacterial pathogenicity, bacterial resistance, and other topics. To consolidate their learning, students created and presented a poster in a rotational panel of peer learning. The perceived learning and interest in microbiology research were improved by the Real-Lab-Day experience, and more than 95% of the students approved the Real-Lab-Day as a teaching tool in microbiology. Students exposed to a research laboratory had a positive experience of the teaching method and over 90% saw it as beneficial to improve their understanding of the scientific concepts discussed during lectures. Likewise, their interest in pursuing a career in microbiology was stimulated by the Real-Lab-Day experience. In conclusion, this educational initiative depicts an alternative methodology to connect students to the research and offers an opportunity to be in close contact with experts and graduate students, who gain teaching experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Carolina Ramos Moreno
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Department of Microbiology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Natalia Pasternak Taschner
- Center of Science and Society, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Instituto Questão de Ciência, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Marco Aurélio Floriano Piantola
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Department of Microbiology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Bárbara Rodrigues Cintra Armellini
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Department of Microbiology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Camilo Lellis-Santos
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Environmental, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Diadema, SP, Brazil
| | - Rita de Cássia Café Ferreira
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Department of Microbiology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Rodrigues Cintra Armellini B, La Luna A, Bueris V, Pinto de Almeida A, Moraes Tamais A, Krzyzanowski F, Hasten Reiter VS, Lellis-Santos C, Café Ferreira RDC. Comparison of hybrid learning and remote education in the implementation of the "Adopt a Microorganism" methodology. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0248906. [PMID: 34818328 PMCID: PMC8612561 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The Internet has changed the way teachers and students access information and build knowledge. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has created challenges for both teachers and students and a demand for new methodologies of remote learning. In the life sciences, mixing online content with practical activities represents an even greater challenge. In microbiology, the implementation of an active teaching methodology, the #Adopt project, based on the social network Facebook®, represents an excellent option for connecting remote education with classroom activities. In 2020, the version applied in high school, "Adopt a Microorganism", was adapted to meet the demands of emergency remote education owing to the suppression of face-to-face activities caused by the pandemic. In the present study, we assessed how the change in methodology impacted the discourse richness of students from high school integrated with technical education in the Business Administration program of the Federal Institute of São Paulo, Sorocaba Campus. Three questionnaires related to the groups of microorganisms (Archaea, Bacteria, Virus, Fungi, and Protozoan) were applied. The students' responses in the 2019 and 2020 classes were compared concerning content richness and multiplicity of concepts through the application of the Shannon diversity index, an approach that is generally used to assess biodiversity in different environments. The observed results suggest that remote learning provided students with a conceptual basis and richness of content equivalent to that achieved by students subjected to the hybrid teaching model. In conclusion, this study suggests that the #Adopt project methodology increases students' discourse richness in microbiology even without face-to-face traditional classes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexandre La Luna
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Federal Institute of São Paulo, Campus Sorocaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Bueris
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - Flavio Krzyzanowski
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Federal Institute of São Paulo, Campus Capital, São Paulo, Brazil
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