Many hands make light work, or too many cooks spoil the soup? Lessons from the development of the BASIL biochemistry laboratory curriculum through a diverse multi‐institutional collaboration.

Abstract

The BASIL (Biochemistry Authentic Scientific Investigation Laboratory) curriculum is driven by a consortium of biochemistry and computational instructors. BASIL is a protein biochemistry Course‐based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) in which students discover enzymatic function of previously uncharacterized proteins. It combines computational and wet‐lab protein science to deliver foundational concepts within the undergraduate biochemistry teaching lab. BASIL came together in 2015 as instructors sought to integrate genuine research into the biochemistry laboratory course to broaden the impact of teaching through research.In order to maximize impact, BASIL has been intentionally developed as a collaborative effort across institutions diverse in type, size, and location nationwide. This presentation summarizes lessons learned from building this collaboration, including the following aspects. (1) Establishing the group: Participants were identified and recruited for the most part at national meetings such as Experimental Biology/ASBMB and others. (2) Funding: Development of the BASIL curriculum was supported by NSF IUSE as a collaborative research proposal. (3) Communication: Group members interact through videoconferencing on a weekly basis, and at national/regional meetings. (4) Teaching resources: The BASIL curriculum has been published as a free and open‐source resource, supplemented by online teaching suggestions. (5) Assessment: The effectiveness of this curriculum has been assessed through student surveys shared across campuses and surveys of faculty to monitor success of (and obstacles to) implementation at each home campus. (7) Dissemination and recruitment: Availability of the BASIL resources has been published, and additional faculty/campuses continue to join as BASIL implementors.These are presented with the goal of sharing successful (and not‐so‐successful) strategies for collaborating across campuses as a way to stimulate effective student learning while promoting faculty development and well‐being through this team model.Support or Funding InformationNSF IUSE 1709278