Microbiology Course Research Articles

Reform and reflection of teaching microbiology in English

Microbiology is a key basic professional course for all the students specializing in biology, biotechnology and related majors. To date, microbiology is mainly taught in Chinese within colleges and universities in China. Development of a microbiology course that is taught in English may satisfy the diversified learning needs of the students and promote the "Double First-Class" initiative. We started to teach the microbiology course in English at the East China University of Science and Technology since 2016. This practice was associated with reform and innovation in the teaching methods and contents. The microbiology course taught in English greatly attracted the interest of the attending students and helped improve their professional English learning as well as scientific research. This course provided important support for fostering innovative professional first-class undergraduates under the context of the "Double First-Class" initiative.

Hands-on immunology: Engaging learners of all ages through tactile teaching tools.

Ensuring the public has a fundamental understanding of human–microbe interactions, immune responses, and vaccines is a critical challenge in the midst of a pandemic. These topics are commonly taught in undergraduate- and graduate-level microbiology and immunology courses; however, creating engaging methods of teaching these complex concepts to students of all ages is necessary to keep younger students interested when science seems hard. Building on the Tactile Teaching Tools with Guided Inquiry Learning (TTT-GIL) method we used to create an interactive lac operon molecular puzzle, we report here two TTT-GIL activities designed to engage diverse learners from middle schoolers to masters students in exploring molecular interactions within the immune system. By pairing physical models with structured activities built on the constructivist framework of Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL), TTT-GIL activities guide learners through their interaction with the model, using the Learning Cycle to facilitate construction of new concepts. Moreover, TTT-GIL activities are designed utilizing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles to include all learners through multiple means of engagement, representation, and action. The TTT-GIL activities reported here include a web-enhanced activity designed to teach concepts related to antibody–epitope binding and specificity to deaf and hard-of-hearing middle and high school students in a remote setting and a team-based activity that simulates the evolution of the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) haplotype of a population exposed to pathogens. These activities incorporate TTT-GIL to engage learners in the exploration of fundamental immunology concepts and can be adapted for use with learners of different levels and educational backgrounds.

Using a One Health Assignment as a Final Project in a Microbiology Course.

The One Health initiative is a comprehensive strategy that seeks to understand the balance between the human, animal, environmental domains and how each affects the health of the others. A One Health project is presented here that can be used as a final formative and summative assignment for undergraduate students enrolled in a microbiology course. Students learn about the initiative and then choose topics of relevance. They then synthesize concepts learned throughout the course and new information about the One Health initiative. An assessment rubric is provided that can be modified to a variety of different project types, not just papers, as described here. This One Health assignment helps students learn the importance of the microbiology concepts addressed in the course and also their real-world implications.

Student Perceptions and Engagement in Video-based Learning for Microbiology Education

Online learning increases the physical distance between instructors and students and depending on the mode of delivery, it can be challenging to close this gap. To ameliorate this potential for student isolation, instructors need to communicate to students in a variety of ways, blending original online resources with synchronous interactive learning activities. During 2020, 34 lecture videos were created for a large undergraduate microbiology and immunology course offered at The University of Queensland. The teaching team applied a subset of Mayer’s multimedia learning design principles – embodiment, mixed perspectives, segmenting, signalling – to create videos featuring instructor presence, multiple presentation styles, and dynamic pacing. When compared to voice-over presentations created by automated lecture capture software, the outcomes of this design process increased student engagement in video-based learning across the 2020 and 2021 course offerings. Analysis of student perception data collected by online questionnaires and interviews revealed broad agreement with the design principles used for video-based learning. However, their value of on-screen instructor visibility, graphics, and text was variable as a result of individual preferences. Together these findings present a case study in which instructional videos were developed iteratively through the selective application of multimedia design principles and strategic adaptation of existing learning resources.

Practical exploration of teaching microbiology in English to promote research and study

Microbes are involved in every aspect of human life. Microbiology is a mandatory subject at the undergraduate level covering majors including life sciences, pharmacy, medicine, agriculture, forestry and food. Along with internationalization and development of the first-class disciplines, teaching microbiology courses in English is highly valued. Here we discuss how to conduct curriculum reform of microbiology teaching in English, and what are the advantages and challenges when teaching in English. The teaching system can be advanced by enhancing interdisciplinary communication so as to promote study and research for students and teachers. We take this practical exploration as an example to communicate with relevant teachers.

Moving beyond content knowledge: Examining the impacts of a culturally responsive microbiology curriculum

This paper describes the application of James A. Banks’ Levels of Integration of Multicultural Content to develop a culturally responsive curricular framework for a traditional 16-week microbiology course to determine its impact on classroom discourse. The study sought to qualitatively examine how the integration of multicultural content into a traditional microbiology course would, (1) change students’ impression of science and its relevance to their lived experiences, (2) impact students’ interest and perceived academic performance as it relates to retention of information, and (3) shape students’ understanding of sociopolitical issues. The multicultural curricular framework is summarized with a specific example described in detail. Qualitative data collected from two semesters of assignment prompts, classroom discussions, and end of semester focus groups are presented and discussed. Based on the results of the examined qualitative data, the multicultural curricular framework helped students better recognize the relevance of microbiology in relation to their lived experiences, increased their interest in science, improved their perceived academic performance, and increased their understanding of sociopolitical issues related to microbiology. Challenges and implications regarding integration of multicultural content into traditional microbiology courses are also discussed.

Feasibility of Online Classes for Microbiology Courses: Lessons learned amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Universities and colleges worldwide have been closed following the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and online learning has become an educational practice at once. Previous research showed many problems, including time management difficulties, technological devices, communication, engagement and assessment of students for both educators and students in online education. This research was formulated to understand whether online microbiology courses from different Saudi Universities are appropriate. It was a nationwide cross-sectional study among educators from multiple Saudi Arabian Universities during the whole month of June 2020. We distributed the survey link electronically through messages on the phone. A total of 134 Saudis participated in the study, and the majority of the respondents, i.e., 106 (79.10%) are between 36 to 55 years old, 17 (12.69%) are 56 years and above. A total of 65 (48.51%) respondents responded that shifting from in-classroom to online setup has impacted the teaching-learning process negatively, while 43 (32.09%) responded with a positive impact. The majority of the respondents (82%) disagreed that practical learning outcomes such as laboratory-based microbiology courses can be achieved online at the same level as regular-campus classes.Furthermore, more than half of the participants think that students' dishonesty or violation of academic integrity threatens institutions from offering online courses. Technology tools have brought a positive impact on the effectiveness of online microbiology education. This study illustrated that the shift to online microbiology classes has a positive impact on attention to academic integrity. However, in-person labs are still considered the optimal lab design. While pandemics have historically generated difficulties, recognizing these difficulties is the first step in turning them into possibilities.

Teaching Microbiology- Online and Offline Challenges during COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: The coronavirus pandemic has caused a general crisis, affecting several sectors of the society, sectors that were not exactly ready to deal with critical situations. This is also the case with education, which was faced a huge challenge: digital, online teaching teaching.
 Objectives: The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of online microbiology course with a traditional course, taught by the same professors, the students involved are in the first three years of study at the Faculty of Midwifery and Nursing, in the University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Carol Davila" from Bucharest.
 Methods: The period of our study was of two years, 2019-2021. The first year had digital classes and the second had face to face classes The study conducted a prospective study. It was used a 10-question questionnaire as a tool for assessing students' perceptions regarding the difficulty of online teaching with every aspect, such as homework’s, projects, presentations and online browsing. It was also compared the method of online and traditional education.
 Results: Almost half of our participants, 46.9% found the teaching files for the online lectures satisfactory and understandable while 51% of students considered easier to study online than face to face. Regarding face-to-face studying, 67.3% of the responders voted for the face-to-face teaching. Technical issues were reported by 47.2% when connecting or during online classes.
 Findings: This study will contribute to future research that investigates students' perceptions of microbiology courses and laboratories to ensure the development of a quality microbiology curriculum.

Beyond the Traditional Classroom: Increased Course Structure and Cooperative Learning Remove Differences in Achievement between Students in an In-Person versus Hybrid Microbiology Course.

The increase in online learning brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic will likely result in a greater availability of online and hybrid course offerings. In this study, students enrolled in parallel sections of a microbiology lab course with in-person labs and either face-to-face (F2F) or all-online lectures (hybrid, H). Course material and method of assessment in the two sections were identical; student demographics were similar. In the first year, F2F students scored significantly higher on two out of four exams. In the second year, two interventions were introduced: team-building activities (in both sections) and online group discussions (H only). Students in both the F2F and H sections reported similar positive teamwork reviews based on Comprehensive Assessment of Team Member Effectiveness (catme.org) and survey data. Although the COVID-19 pandemic eventually forced all learning online, exam scores from the two sections in the first half of the semester were similar, suggesting that the interventions were effective. In both sections, exam scores were positively correlated with entering grade point averages. This study adds to the body of literature supporting the effectiveness of hybrid learning.

Embedding 21st century employability into assessment and feedback practice through a student-staff partnership

Although commonly thought to be only a measure of academic performance, assessments can also provide students with an opportunity to apply skills and knowledge acquired at university into written literacies that prepare them for the transition into prospective careers. Within a Level 2 Microbiology and Immunology course, students struggled to engage with standalone timetabled careers-related sessions, yet they showed enthusiasm when employability was embedded into assessments. A staff-student partnership project explored these issues, with the overall aim of understanding how to effectively embed employability skills into assessment and feedback, which supports the theme of supporting students to position themselves for the future. Through student-run focus groups, this project investigated the reasons for low student engagement with the timetabled employability session and used student views to develop digital initiatives that could be applied to assessment and feedback practice with an emphasis on developing 21st-century competencies. These initiatives were then implemented as pre-session self-directed activities, which helped students link course feedback with employment skills and future career planning, followed by a newly developed in-class reflective feedback session that allowed students time to consider what skills they have developed and make links with future careers. Project evaluation was conducted using a quantitative survey of students involved. This project aims to make feedback more meaningful and better valued by students. The approaches were designed in partnership with former students from the course, this project possesses the unique ability to deliver a genuine student voice both on employability concerns and the role of assessment.

Transforming Perspectives Through Virtual Exchange: A US-Egypt Partnership Part 1.

With more classrooms within higher education mobilizing strategies for internationalization, collaborative online international learning (COIL), also referred to as virtual exchange, is an effective approach at offering intercultural competence through experiential learning. This strategy provides students who face barriers to international travel the opportunity to engage with students from other countries in meaningful ways, while enhancing and reinforcing course content. Grounded in the transformative learning theory, this study evaluates the effectiveness of a virtual exchange that was implemented within an undergraduate global public health course. The virtual exchange connected students from the University of Florida (within the US) with medical students in a microbiology course at Ain Shams University in Cairo, Egypt. Using adapted reflection prompts, we assessed the students' knowledge and learning before, during, and after the virtual exchange. This was coupled with a final paper to capture how personal backgrounds and experiences may contribute to their perception of the virtual exchange, as well as if they felt their global perspective had changed or shifted during the experience. Using directed content analysis for each of the measurements, two researchers coded the data independently to then present agreed upon salient themes to the larger group. Of the 28 randomly sampled students who participated in the virtual exchange, seven major themes emerged from the data: Connectedness; Openness; Acquisition of Knowledge and Skills; Communication; Cultural Identity; Anticipation of Options for New Roles, Relationships, and Actions; and Absence of Change. Through this evaluation it was clear there was a variance of different perspectives with many sampled students having diverse lived experiences that influenced their worldview prior to the virtual exchange. Despite course-related barriers, students acknowledged several facilitating factors that improved their intercultural competence and knowledge of course content. The integration of a virtual exchange within the classroom, with careful design and implementation, can provide a unique experience for students and an inclusive approach to learning.

Leveraging Technology and Gamification to Engage Learners in a Microbiology Curriculum in Undergraduate Medical Education

BackgroundMicrobiology is a critical and expansive topic that many medical schools’ curriculum must teach in a constrained time frame. We implemented a microbiology question bank smart phone app enhanced with game elements and clinical pearls during a microbiology course for first-year medical students. We hypothesized that these enhancements and clinical pearls would engage the students meaningfully and increase their knowledge base.MethodsThough use was optional, students’ game play was recorded through the app, which was compared to test grades retrospectively. A player efficiency rating (PER) was calculated as a function of question response, accuracy, and engagement. Students were separated into tertiles of PER and median exam grades were compared using a non-parametric Kruskal–Wallis (KW) test. An anonymous satisfaction and usability feedback survey was also administered.ResultsOne hundred eighty-one of the 189 students (96%) answered at least one question, and 165 (87%) completed all 56 questions. The average PER was 84.75. We received feedback surveys from 61 (34%) students in the course, with positive responses regarding the perceived impact on learning microbiology. The KW test found a positive correlation for median exam scores of the player groups when divided into tertiles by PER (p = 0.0002).ConclusionsWe leveraged gamification and clinical pearls to design a supplemental microbiology question bank. We found high engagement overall and higher class exam scores associated with greater use of the question bank.

Evaluating the Group Debate Activity as a Student-Centered Approach in Microbiology Course for PharmD Students: An Observational Study.

BackgroundGroup debate is an educational strategy meant to equip undergraduate students with enhanced communication skills as well as the understanding of complex topics. Many controversial topics in the microbiological field pose challenges to the pharmacist’s ability to attribute a specific opinion to its supported clinical evidence and to discuss these topics with confidence.MethodsA total of 76 second-year pharmacy students who enrolled in a PharmD program participated in the group debate as part of the student assessment in microbiology course. The students prepared selected topics on controversial issues in microbiology, which were presented as a debate. Post-debate questionnaire was distributed to the students and used to measure student perceptions.ResultsThe majority of the students (82.89%) demonstrated an improvement in their understanding of the topics after the debate. The highest percentage was recorded from one topic group (97.37%) which stated that they had improved understanding after the debate. About a third of the total students reported great improvement in their communication skills.ConclusionThis debate group clearly provided the students with high confidence in presenting their arguments from relevant scientific information gathered from existing literature. It also enhanced their understanding of complex and controversial microbiology topics that will be needed during their pharmacy education.

Teaching Microscopy Remotely: Two Engaging Options.

ABSTRACTThe rapid switch to remote teaching with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced educators to become resourceful and creative to meet course learning objectives. This was especially challenging for undergraduate microbiology laboratory exercises. The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Recommended Curriculum Guidelines for Undergraduate Microbiology Education includes providing students with a microscopy experience. To meet these learning objectives in an at-home setting, we utilized two methods which we present as options for remote teaching of microscopy. One method involves students taking home microscopes equipped with oil immersion objective lenses. The other employs the remote operation of a confocal and/or scanning electron microscope through participation in the University of Toledo’s SCOPE (Scientists Changing Our Pre-College Education) program. These techniques allowed students to develop competency and confidence in the operation of a microscope. The SCOPE program provided experience with types of microscopes not commonly available to undergraduate students even when in person. In addition to these unique experiences, students can gain microscopy expertise utilizing various virtual microscopy simulations. Together these techniques provide an exciting and robust online microscopy experience for undergraduate microbiology students that can be employed for use in regularly taught online microbiology courses.

An Undergraduate Laboratory Exploring Mutational Mechanisms in Escherichia coli Based on the Luria-Delbrück Experiment.

ABSTRACTUnderstanding the mechanism for DNA mutations is a key concept in most genetics and microbiology courses. In addition, understanding that most mutations occur prior to exposure to selection is an important yet often difficult concept for students to grasp. We developed an undergraduate laboratory activity on mutation mechanisms based on the classic experiment from Luria and Delbrück. The activity uses Escherichia coli as the model organism and the antibiotic streptomycin for selection. Students gain hands-on experience with an important experiment in genetics, and the laboratory contains an investigative component in having students calculate mutation rate for streptomycin resistance and in having the students design a follow-up experiment. E. coli has a knockout collection available, and we used a wild-type strain and a ΔmutS strain in the laboratory exercise. The ΔmutS strain is missing an enzyme in the mismatch repair pathway, and students calculate and compare the mutation rate and frequency for both the wild type and the knockout strain. Assessment of student learning showed that students had a significant gain in understanding of mutational mechanisms. An optional, additional experiment involving PCR and DNA sequencing of streptomycin-resistant mutants is also presented.

Embedding 21st century employability into assessment and feedback practice through a student-staff partnership.

In-course assessments are an essential part of any coursework because they represent both a physical output of the skills and knowledge acquired at university, but also have the role of supporting student transitions into prospective careers. Therefore, assessments could be used as a conduit to encourage student awareness of the skills needed for the workplace and verify their attainment of these skills, particularly at foundation levels within a degree. Within a second-year Microbiology and Immunology course, students struggled to engage with standalone timetabled careers-related sessions, yet they showed enthusiasm when employability was embedded into assessments. A staff–student partnership project explored these issues, with the overall aim of understanding how to effectively embed employability skills into assessment and feedback and support students positioning themselves for the future. Through a focus group, this project investigated the reasons for low student engagement with timetabled employability sessions and used student views to develop digital initiatives and 21st-century competencies that could be applied more widely within assessment and feedback practice. These initiatives were then implemented as pre-session self-directed activities, with the objective of helping students to link course feedback with employment skills and future career planning, followed by a newly developed in-class reflective feedback session that allowed students time to consider what skills they have developed and make links with future careers. Project evaluation was conducted using a quantitative survey of the students involved.

Complete Genome Sequences of Four Isolated Bacteria from an Undergraduate Microbiology Course Using a Hybrid Assembly Approach.

ABSTRACTThree Gram-negative bacteria and one Gram-positive bacterium were isolated from environmental samples in an undergraduate microbiology class on the basis of antibiotic resistance. Isolate DNA was purified, sequenced, and assembled using a hybrid approach. Here, we report the genomes of Acinetobacter johnsonii CSUSB1, Aeromonas hydrophila CSUSB2, Bacillus velezensis CSUSB3, and Comamonas thiooxydans CSUSB4.

Learning out of the box: Fostering intellectual curiosity and learning skills among the medical students through gamification.

BACKGROUND:Gamification involving application of elements of game play that provides unique opportunities to learners to sail through complex medical concepts is gaining importance in medical education. The current study was aimed at assessing the perception of medical students regarding checkerboard game in enhancing learning process.MATERIALS AND METHODS:The present prospective cross-sectional study was conducted at the microbiology department. The fifth-year medical students of the academic year 2018–19 were the participants. Pre- and post-test scores and self-administered questionnaire regarding effectiveness of the checkerboard game-based learning were used as assessing tools. The data were collected, tabulated, and statistically analyzed using SPSS version 20. The pre- and post-test scores of students were statistically analyzed using paired t test. A descriptive analysis on the 3-point Likert scale of effectiveness survey was measured and expressed in percentages.RESULTS:In total, 124 fifth-year medical students participated in the study. Majority (89.5%) of them liked the game, nearly 86% opined that game was enjoyable and created interest. Approximately 88% indicated game helped them to understand the topic, enhanced learning, and thus improved the knowledge. Most students (79%) also believed that game encouraged critical thinking and problem solving, while 75% felt that it improved their communication skills. Around 70% felt that game was also useful for exam preparation and nearly 90% recommended to use the game more frequently.CONCLUSION:From the results of the study, it can be concluded that checkerboard game-based learning method is effective in fostering learning process and cognition of medical students in the microbiology course.

Evaluating Knowledge of Human Microbiota among University Students in Jordan, an Online Cross-Sectional Survey.

Human microbiota have a significant impact on the health of individuals, and reciprocally, lifestyle choices of individuals have an important effect on the diversity and composition of microbiota. Studies assessing microbiota knowledge among the public are lacking, although it is hypothesized that this knowledge can motivate healthier behavior. Hence, this study aimed to measure microbiota knowledge among university students, and the effect of this knowledge on behavioral beliefs. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among students from various fields of study enrolled at the University of Jordan, using an online questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 3 parts: demographics, general knowledge of microbiota, and behavioral beliefs related to microbiota. Four hundred and two responses were collected from verified university students. Participants were divided into two groups depending on whether they took a formal microbiology course (45 h) or not. Results from those two groups were compared using appropriate statistical methods. Results showed that most participants, even those who did not take a formal microbiology course, displayed good knowledge of what microbiota is and how they can be influenced by personal and environmental factors. Participants who took a microbiology course had significantly higher microbiota knowledge scores and were more aware of the effect of antibiotics on microbiota. Participants’ behavioral beliefs regarding their antibiotic use, but not their diet and lifestyle choices, were affected by their knowledge of microbiota. The study indicates that disseminating knowledge regarding microbiota and microbiology in general, can improve behaviors related to antibiotic use.

An Adaptable and Modular Set of Laboratory Exercises Connecting Genotype to Phenotype in Sporulating Bacillus subtilis.

ABSTRACTPractical lab exercises that help students draw connections between genotype and phenotype, and make and test predictions about the identity of mutants, are invaluable in college-level cell biology, genetics, and microbiology courses. While many bacteria are easy to grow and manipulate within the time and resource constraints of a laboratory course, their phenotypes are not always observable or relevant-seeming to college students. Here, we leverage sporulation by the bacterium Bacillus subtilis, a well-characterized and genetically tractable system, to create 5 adaptable lab exercises that can be implemented in different combinations to suit the needs of a variety of courses and instruction modes. Because phenotypic changes during sporulation are striking morphological changes to cells that are easily observable with basic light microscopy, and because spore-forming bacteria related to B. subtilis have clear applications for human and environmental health, these exercises have the potential to engage students’ interest while introducing and reinforcing key concepts in microbiology, cell biology, and genetics.