Does biotech education need new teaching methodologies?

Abstract

Biotechnology has the potential to solve some of the biggest problems that contribute to local and global inequalities. Thus, it is imperative to increase the participation of diverse communities in the development, implementation and adoption of biotechnology. Biotechnology has been applied as long as we have domesticated plants and animals, produced cheese, yogurt, bread and alcoholic drinks. Today, it is being used in numerous disciplines including medicine, bioremediation, agriculture, energy and material production. Artists and designers have had a role in challenging research and its societal questions. Education must prepare individuals for a future of complex challenges providing creative problem-solving and critical thinking skill as well as the ability to innovate in a technology-driven world. Furthermore, teacher pedagogies should allow students and teachers to critically debate the political, ethical and social issues from the practice of biotechnology. This question invites a wide range of research contributions in which we identify, evaluate and speculate on the role that multidisciplinary education has on the future of biotech. We invite both experimental works on the latest methodologies in this area but also critique and reflection beyond the ‘hype’ of these, potentially transformative pedagogical approaches.