Adaptation of a CURE course aimed at characterization of host-pathogen interactions for on-line learning

Abstract

Abstract Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) aim to engage a large, diverse group of students in authentic research, promote student research skills, content knowledge, scientific literacy, critical thinking and analysis skills, support student self-efficacy, and at the same time provide a means to advance faculty research productivity. Addressing each of these varied goals of a CURE course is a challenge, and became even more challenging when classes were forced on-line for the COVID-19 pandemic. In Fall of 2020, we adapted our CURE course, which seeks to engage students at Towson University with research ongoing at the University of Maryland, School of Medicine, for virtual learning. To move the course on-line, we focused on activities that could easily be adapted to a virtual environment, such as those focusing on bioinformatics analysis, research design, data analysis, scientific writing and on-line lab simulations. Students were tasked with becoming ‘project managers’—designing hypotheses and protocols and choosing experimental variables and controls, while instructors and an undergraduate learning assistant carried out the experiments, videotaping so students could become familiar with the techniques. While the drawbacks of the virtual CURE course were many, including the lack of student involvement in hands-on bench work, benefits of the virtual CURE included more time and attention devoted to critical skills such as research design, data analysis and scientific writing. Future designs of CURE courses may benefit from increased attention to these skills, even upon return to in-person learning.