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Results for “scientific communication and education”

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bioRxiv2023

Experiential diversity training and science learning for college students alongside peers with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training can benefit STEM students. However, typical college settings often limit college students exposure to adult peers with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs), a historically marginalized group. To lower this barrier, we developed a continuing education program, Lifelong Learning with Friends (LLWF), aimed at adults with IDDs on a large university campus, which provides diversity training to college students. In this program, undergraduate and graduate students from scientific and education disciplines are recruited to volunteer as peers and helpers. LLWF has reached hundreds of students with and without IDDs each year and more than 1,500 over the past 12 years. In our program, college students gain DEI training through learning sophisticated academic topics, including sciences, alongside adults with IDDs. Almost half (42%) of surveyed LLWF college volunteers did not have prior exposure to people with IDDs. Following program participation, we found that, irrespective of prior exposure, nearly all (98%) of volunteers had elevated their expectations of people with IDDs and reported increased interest in IDDs-focused research, education, social interaction, and advocacy. Additionally, college volunteers reported that they improved their science communication by seeing how science could be taught to a broad audience that includes adults with IDDs. We therefore suggest that other universities may consider our LLWF model to enhance DEI training by expanding opportunities for neurotypical students to befriend and learn science alongside adults with IDDs.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2019

Supporting Computational Apprenticeship through educational and software infrastructure. A case study in a mathematical oncology research lab

There is growing awareness of the need for mathematics and computing to quantitatively understand the complex dynamics and feedbacks in the life sciences. Although several institutions and research groups are conducting pioneering multidisciplinary research, communication and education across fields remains a bottleneck. The opportunity is ripe for using education research-supported mechanisms of cross-disciplinary training at the intersection of mathematics, computation and biology. This case study uses the computational apprenticeship theoretical framework to describe the efforts of a computational biology lab to rapidly prototype, test, and refine a mentorship infrastructure for undergraduate research experiences. We describe the challenges, benefits, and lessons learned, as well as the utility of the computational apprenticeship framework in supporting computational/math students learning and contributing to biology, and biologists in learning computational methods. We also explore implications for undergraduate classroom instruction, and cross-disciplinary scientific communication.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2020

An integrated, modular approach to data science education in the life sciences

We live in an increasingly data-driven world, where high-throughput sequencing and mass spectrometry platforms are transforming biology into an information science. This has shifted major challenges in biological research from data generation and processing to interpretation and knowledge translation. However, post-secondary training in bioinformatics, or more generally data science for life scientists, lags behind current demand. In particular, development of accessible, undergraduate data science curricula has potential to improve research and learning outcomes and better prepare students in the life sciences to thrive in public and private sector careers. Here, we describe the Experiential Data science for Undergraduate Cross-Disciplinary Education (EDUCE) initiative, which aims to progressively build data science competency across several years of integrated practice. Through EDUCE, students complete data science modules integrated into required and elective courses augmented with coordinated co-curricular activities. The EDUCE initiative draws on a community of practice consisting of teaching assistants, postdocs, instructors and research faculty from multiple disciplines to overcome several reported barriers to data science for life scientists, including instructor capacity, student prior knowledge, and relevance to discipline-specific problems. Preliminary survey results indicate that even a single module improves student self-reported interest and/or experience in bioinformatics and computer science. Thus, EDUCE provides a flexible and extensible active learning framework for integration of data science curriculum into undergraduate courses and programs across the life sciences. Availability and implementationThe EDUCE teaching and learning framework is accessible at educe-ubc.github.io

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2023

FUNCTIONAL AGEING: A Science-Technology-Society Approach to teach Ageing and Age-related Diseases

PurposeAgeing is a complex biological process that involves numerous genes and pathways. Experimental studies have identified several of these genes and pathways that that can extend or shorten an individuals lifespan. Understanding these genes and pathways can help develop interventions that improve health and quality of life of older people. Nonetheless, as the global population continues to age, it is essential to comprehend the ageing processs impact on society. Functional age is defined as a combination of chronological, biological, and psychological ages. An educational course called "Functional Ageing" was created for life science students at the National University of Singapore (NUS) during the academic year 2016-2017. The module adopted an interdisciplinary approach based on science-technology-society (STS) methodology and aimed to equip students with the analytical tools needed to assess the ageing process at both the molecular and physiological/functional levels. Ultimately, the module aimed to promote the understanding of ageing processes, particularly functional ageing in a population and its societal impacts. MethodsThis "Functional Ageing" course spanned over 13 weeks, consisting of weekly four-hour sessions that aimed to integrate both biology of ageing and societal perceptions of an ageing population. The first half of the semester covered the molecular processes that govern ageing, while the second half focussed on societal perception, burden of disease, healthy ageing interventions and creating an ageless society. Experimental and epidemiological studies were used to explain the ageing process. Expert guest lecturers were invited throughout the module to share their experiences on the demanding research areas of ageing today, as well as clinical aspects of age-related diseases. In addition, a field visit to a geriatric ward at the mental health organisation was arranged to showcase the countrys approach to dealing with the rising demands of ageing, and to provide experiential learning that can help inculcate a clearer public perception of ageing. ResultsThis 13-week module helped to improve students perception about functional ageing in todays society. After the module, a reflection analysis was conducted to evaluate students perceptions of ageing society. Overall findings garnered have demonstrated that while students generally have a brief understanding of the biological processes of ageing, their perception on how ageing is being manifested in a public health and societal setting is in paucity. However, the routine university-directed feedback survey indicated that the module had a positive impact on students appreciation and comprehension of the interplay between biological and sociological aspects of ageing, thus achieving the learning objectives of the module. ConclusionThe aim of the "Functional ageing" module was to integrate the biology and sociology of ageing to provide a better interdisciplinary understanding of ageing in society. After completing the module, students demonstrated a change in their mindset and attitude towards how their scientific understanding of ageing can be coupled to their public perception of ageing. As ageing populations become more prevalent in many societies, it is crucial that we prepare for an ageing population and develop a positive perception of ageing. Through educational efforts like this course/module, students will exhibit greater awareness of ageing issues, leading to more informed and balanced perceptions.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2023

Utilizing Mentorship Education to Promote a Culturally Responsive Research Training Environment in the Biomedical Sciences

There is an urgent and compelling need for systemic change to achieve diversity and inclusion goals in the biomedical sciences. Since faculty hold great influence in shaping research training environments, faculty development is a key aspect in building institutional capacity to create climates in which persons excluded because of their ethnicity or race (PEERs) can succeed. In this paper, we present a mixed methods case study of one institutions efforts to improve mentorship of PEER doctoral students as a strategy to improve graduate trainees experiences, and as a strategy to positively affect institutional climate with respect to racial and ethnic diversity. We found evidence that our culturally responsive mentorship education increased faculty mentors self-reported mentorship competencies, though their valuing of culturally responsive mentoring behaviors were comparatively higher than their confidence to enact those behaviors. PEER doctoral students reported that they noticed mentors efforts to address cultural diversity matters and identified some guidance for how to approach such topics. We discuss future directions and implications for using mentorship education to activate systemic change toward inclusive research training environments and promoting the value of mentorship within institutions.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2024

Setting Climate Targets: The Case of Higher Education and Research

The carbon footprint and low-carbon strategies of higher education and research organizations have been the subject of scientific articles and reports. However, these provide few details on the reduction targets themselves, leaving the question of how should higher education and research organizations define and construct their climate targets and trajectories unanswered. The present paper fills this gap. We first review and analyze the documents describing the climate strategies of 53 higher education and research organizations coming from 11 countries, based on their detailed GreenHouse Gas emissions (GHGs) reporting. The selected reports include at least one target re-duction for at least one target year. Then, on the basis of this analysis we propose guidelines to encourage and help higher education and research organizations set rele-vant climate targets.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2018

A Cross-Platform Comparison of Student’s Perceptions of the Learning Environment in an Introductory Microbiology Course

AbstractStudents positive perceptions of the learning environment increase retention and persistence in STEM disciplines. This study presents results from a Learning Environment Questionnaire administered at the beginning and end of the semester in a redesigned general/introductory microbiology course offered in traditional lecture, flipped and online sections. Split-sample t-tests and chi-squared tests were used for cross-section and within section analyses, respectively. The findings support the study hypothesis that student perceptions of the learning environment will vary as a function of platform. This work demonstrates the additional effect of the time in the semester when students complete the questionnaire and this effect on students perceptions over the course of the semester relative to their initial perceptions. The results of this study offer insight on student perceptions of the learning environment as universities embrace online education in introductory and gateway courses as a response to rising student enrollments and diminishing resources.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2026

Biodesign Buddy: Integrating Generative Artificial Intelligence in Academic Biodesign

Biodesign is an interdisciplinary research domain that incorporates principles from design and the life sciences to develop new systems, processes, and objects. Collegiate biodesign educators face unique pedagogical challenges, including an absence of relevant scholarship on curriculum design and instructional best practices for cultivating student scientific literacy. These difficulties may be overcome with newly available technologies, like generative AI systems, that enable personalized learning through domain-specific semantic spaces. This article examines the instructional value of one such domain-specific LLM, Biodesign Buddy, through a mixed-methods analysis of an eight-week study involving 64 students participating in an international biodesign competition. Results indicate strong support for integrating AI into biodesign coursework. Surveys captured attitudes toward AI, scientific literature, and learning experiences to assess AIs impact on learning outcomes. Findings suggest that integrating AI into biodesign pedagogy can meaningfully redress conceptual issues in biodesign while informing broader debates on AIs role in higher education. Impact StatementThis article introduces Biodesign Buddy, a domain-specific generative AI system for collegiate biodesign education, and reports on its exploratory deployment, offering design principles and preliminary findings to inform the development of AI-supported pedagogies for interdisciplinary biodesign instruction.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2020

Therapeutic Communication Skills Training: An Effective Tool to Improve the Caring Behaviors of ICU Nurses

BackgroundCaring behaviors are crucial in intensive care units (ICU) because patients in these wards require high levels of care. Effective communication with patients is one of the most important factors in caring behaviors of nurses working in ICUs. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of therapeutic communication skills training on the caring behaviors of ICU nurese. Materials and MethodsThis experimental pre-test/post-test study was carried out on 105 nurses working in ICUs of hospitals affiliated to Yazd University of Medical Sciences in Iran in 2019. Nurses were randomly assigned into control (52 nurses) and intervention (53 nurses) groups. A two-day therapeutic communication training workshop was conducted for the participants. Data were collected using demographic information questionnaire and caring behaviors questionnaire before and one month after the intervention. ResultsThe findings showed no significant difference between the control and intervention groups regarding the nurses caring behaviors in the pretest (P = 0.148). However, after implementation of the training program, a significant difference was observed in the mean scores of caring behaviors between the two groups. In the control group, the mean scores of caring behaviors decreased significantly after the intervention (P = 0.001); whereas, the mean scores of intervention group increased significantly after the intervention (P = 0.001). ConclusionAccording to the results, ICU nurses training in therapeutic communication skills had a positive effect on their caring behaviors. Therefore, we suggest the authorities prepare and implement educational packages of therapeutic communication skills as a coherent program for other nurses. As a result, the caring behaviors and the quality of cares can be improved for patients.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2026

The Unlabeled Organ: Adipose tissue and normativity in anatomy and physiology texts

Adipose tissue is a dynamic and essential organ system with roles in metabolism, endocrine signaling, immune function, thermoregulation, and structural support. Despite this, it has historically been framed as inert or pathological, raising questions about how it is represented in biomedical education. We evaluated the visual and textual representation of adipose tissue across widely used anatomy, physiology, and combined anatomy-physiology textbooks. Images were coded for presence, labeling, and degree of representation, and text mentions of "adipose" and "fat" were quantified across functional contexts. In anatomy textbooks, adipose tissue was frequently present (6.6-21.7% of images) but rarely labeled (<5% of all images; <25% of adipose-containing images). Representation was often minimal or incidental, and text descriptions were predominantly non-functional, with a preference for the term "fat." In physiology textbooks, adipose tissue was more often described in functional terms and more frequently referred to as "adipose," particularly in metabolic contexts, but appeared in relatively few images (<5%) and was typically minimally depicted. Combined anatomy-physiology texts showed intermediate patterns but retained low labeling rates and limited integration of structure and function. Across all textbook types, terminology varied by context, with "fat" more common in non-functional and obesity-related descriptions and "adipose" associated with metabolic functions, suggesting context-dependent bias in terminology. Overall, adipose tissue is present but inconsistently framed across visual and textual domains. This fragmentation may limit recognition of adipose tissue as an integrated organ system and may reinforce reductive or stigmatizing interpretations. Aligning educational representations with current scientific understanding is therefore essential to support a more accurate and integrated view of adipose tissue as a dynamic organ system.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2020

High school Internship Program in Integrated Mathematical Oncology (HIP IMO) - five-year experience at Moffitt Cancer Center

Modern cancer research, and the wealth of data across multiple spatial and temporal scales, has created the need for researchers that are well-versed in the life sciences (cancer biology, developmental biology, immunology), medical sciences (oncology) and natural sciences (mathematics, physics, engineering, computer sciences). College undergraduate education is traditionally provided in disciplinary silos, which creates a steep learning curve at the graduate and postdoctoral levels that increasingly bridge multiple disciplines. Numerous colleges have begun to embrace interdisciplinary curricula, but students who double-major in mathematics (or other quantitative sciences) and biology (or medicine) remain scarce. We identified the need to educate junior and senior high school students about integrating mathematical and biological skills, through the lens of mathematical oncology, to better prepare students for future careers at the interdisciplinary interface. The High school Internship Program in Integrated Mathematical Oncology (HIP IMO) at Moffitt Cancer Center has so far trained 59 students between 2015 and 2019. We report here on the program structure, training deliverables, curriculum, and outcomes. We hope to promote such interdisciplinary educational activities early in a students career.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2020

Knowledge, attitude and practice of secondary school students toward COVID-19 epidemic in Italy: a cross selectional study

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a highly transmittable and pathogenic viral infection caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which emerges in December 2019 in Wuhan, China and spreads around the world at the beginning of 2020. The World Health Organization declares the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on the 30th of January, and a pandemic on the 11th of March. On the 4th of March, the Italian government orders the full closure of all schools and universities nationwide.The aim of this study is to investigate the knowledge, practice and attitudes (KAP) of secondary school at the time of COVID-19 pandemic in Italy. In this cross-sectional, web-based survey, conducted among the high school student population with age ranging from 14 to 19 years old, a questionnaire with 19 items regarding the KAP toward COVID-19 is asked. Study participants are recruited from several secondary schools of different areas. Frequencies and histograms are computed for descriptive purposes. Statistical analysis is computed with Chi square test, utilized to depict relevant difference between geender. Among a total of 2380 students who answers the questionnaire, 40.7% are male and 59.3% are female.Level of knowledge about generical characteristics of COVID-19 is quite similar among gender. Students present a good level of knowledge about the clinical presentation of the disease, the basic hygiene principles, the modes of transmission and the method of protection against virus transmission. The knowledge about number of this pandemia and easy scientific correlation with COVID-19 is quite confused. The most frequently reported source of knowledge about COVID-19 is television, whereas the less is the school. Our findings suggest that student population shows appropriate practice, and positive attitude towards COVID-19 at the time of its outbreak.More emphasis should be placed on education of the student partecipants about biological meaning of this infection and relative preventive or future measures.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.View Full Text

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2023

An effective C. elegans CRISPR training module for high school and undergraduate summer research experiences in molecular biology

Engaging in research experiences as a high school or undergraduate student interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is pivotal for their academic and professional development. A structured teaching framework can help cultivate a students curiosity and passion for learning and research. In this study, an effective eight-week training program has been created that encompasses fundamental molecular biology principles and hands-on laboratory activities. This curriculum focuses on using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) gene editing in the Caenorhabditis elegans model organism. Through pre- and post-program assessments, substantial enhancements in students molecular biology proficiency and enthusiasm for scientific exploration was observed. Overall, this diligently crafted training module that employs C. elegans as an educational tool to instruct inexperienced students has demonstrated its accessibility and ability to engage students in molecular biology and gene editing methodologies.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2019

Economic Burden of Hypoglycaemia among Type II Diabetes Mellitus Patients in Malaysia.

ObjectiveThe main aim of this study is to identify the direct cost and economic burden of hypoglycaemia among patients with Type II diabetes mellitus in Malaysia.\n\nMethodsThe incurred cost for hypoglycaemia among patients admitted to University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC) was explored from a cross sectional study. 20-79 year patients discharged between Jan 2010 to Sept 2015 and having an ICD-10 code of hypoglycaemia as a primary diagnosis in the casemix database were included in the study. Costing analysis from the perspective of health providers was completed using step-down approach. Data related to hospital cost were collected using hospital-costing template, based on three levels of cost centres. The costing data from UKMMC was used to estimate the national burden of hypoglycaemia among type II diabetics for the whole country.\n\nResultsOf 244 diabetes patients admitted primarily for hypoglycaemia to UKMMC, 52% were female and 88% were over 50 years old. The cost increased with severity. Managing a hypoglycaemic case requires 5 days (median) of inpatient stay with a range of 2-26 days; and costs RM 9,083 (USD 2,323). 30% of the cost came from the ward services cost (final cost centre), 16% of the cost came from ICU services and 15% from pharmacy services(secondarylevel cost centres). Based on the prevalence of hypoglycaemia-related admissions of 3.2%, the total cost of care for hypoglycaemia among adult diabetes in Malaysia is estimated to be RM 117.4 (USD 30.0) million, which is translated as 0.5% of Ministry of Health budget.\n\nConclusionHypoglycaemia imposes substantial economic impact even without the direct and indirect cost incurred by patients and other cost of complications. Proper diabetic care and health education is needed in diabetic management to reduce episodes of hypoglycaemia.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2019

Gender differences in attitudes toward death among Chinese university students: A survey in hunan and Heilongjiang province

BackgroundA positive attitude toward death has significant implications for college students, and can help students establish a healthy concept of life. But most colleges and universities in Mainland China have not yet carried out systematic death education courses.\n\nObjectiveThis study aims to explore the attitudes of college age students to determine how they approach the idea of death using questions that explore five separate dimensions of attitude and belief.\n\nMethodsWe invited students from seven colleges in Mainland China using invitations sent to each years WeChat group. Students participated by scanning a QR code, and were then directed to a website that contained a self-administered questionnaire. We received 1,206 completed interviews.\n\nResultsWe found evidence of a substantial gender difference in attitudes toward death. These differences remain after adjustment for differences between male and female in other correlates of death attitudes, and are not a function of gender differences in the dimensionality of the five scales used to characterize attitudes.\n\nConclusionUsing previous research on gender differences as a guide, we speculate that these differences originate in culturally-defined expectations that are gender-related, as well as in substantial differences in individual family experiences of death. These speculations can take the form of testable hypotheses that should explain differences within genders as well as between genders. We believe that better education about death for college students can shape healthier attitudes among both male and female.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2021

COVID-19 and the abrupt shift to remote learning: Impact on grades and perceived learning for undergraduate biology students

Institutions across the world transitioned abruptly to remote learning in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This rapid transition to remote learning has generally been predicted to negatively affect students, particularly those marginalized due to their race, socioeconomic class, or gender identity. In this study, we examined the impact of this transition in the Spring 2020 semester on the grades of students enrolled in the in-person biology program at a large university in Southwestern United States as compared to the grades earned by students in the fully online biology program at the same institution. We also surveyed in-person instructors to understand changes in assessment practices as a result of the transition to remote learning during the pandemic. Finally, we surveyed students in the in-person program to learn about their perceptions of the impacts of this transition. We found that both online and in-person students received a similar small increase in grades in Spring 2020 compared to Spring 2018 and 2019. We also found no evidence of disproportionately negative impacts on grades received by students marginalized due to their race, socioeconomic class, or gender in either modality. Focusing on in-person courses, we documented that instructors made changes to their courses when they transitioned to remote learning, which may have offset some of the potential negative impacts on course grades. However, despite receiving higher grades, in-person students reported negative impacts on their learning, interactions with peers and instructors, feeling part of the campus community, and career preparation. Women reported a more negative impact on their learning and career preparation compared to men. This work provides insights into students perceptions of how they were disadvantaged as a result of the transition to remote instruction and illuminates potential actions that instructors can take to create more inclusive education moving forward.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2023

Bridging Imaging Users to Imaging Analysis - A community survey

The "Bridging Imaging Users to Imaging Analysis" survey was conducted in 2022 by the Center for Open Bioimage Analysis (COBA), Bioimaging North America (BINA), and the Royal Microscopical Society Data Analysis in Imaging Section (RMS DAIM) to understand the needs of the imaging community. Through multi-choice and open-ended questions, the survey inquired about demographics, image analysis experiences, future needs, and suggestions on the role of tool developers and users. Participants of the survey were from diverse roles and domains of the life and physical sciences. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to survey cross-community to bridge knowledge gaps between physical and life sciences imaging. Survey results indicate that respondents overarching needs are documentation, detailed tutorials on the usage of image analysis tools, user-friendly intuitive software, and better solutions for segmentation, ideally in a format tailored to their specific use cases. The tool creators suggested the users familiarize themselves with the fundamentals of image analysis, provide constant feedback, and report the issues faced during image analysis while the users would like more documentation and an emphasis on tool friendliness. Regardless of the computational experience, there is a strong preference for written tutorials to acquire knowledge on image analysis. We also observed that the interest in having office hours to get an expert opinion on their image analysis methods has increased over the years. In addition, the community suggests the need for a common repository for the available image analysis tools and their applications. The opinions and suggestions of the community, released here in full, will help the image analysis tool creation and education communities to design and deliver the resources accordingly.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2024

A Framework to Identify Opportunities to Address Socioscientific Issues in the Elementary School Curricula: A Case Study from England, Italy, and Portugal

Scientific literacy is crucial to address important and complex societal problems, both current and future. Teaching using a socioscientific issues (SSI) approach is a potential strategy to develop students scientific literacy, although teachers have reported concerns about its implementation, such as the inability to add additional distinct requirements to already demanding curricula. To facilitate this task, we describe the development of a valid and reliable instrument for curricula analysis, called "Framework for Identifying Opportunities to implement an SSI approach in science school curricula" (FIOSSI), and use it to identify opportunities to implement the SSI approach in the elementary school science curriculum of three European countries (England, Italy and Portugal). The framework categorizes SSI opportunities into three areas: 1) awareness of the issue; 2) socioscientific reasoning; and 3) socioscientific identity. Our analyses of the three countries elementary curricula reveal that the current versions have significant opportunities to explore awareness of SSI (especially relating to environmental and human health issues), promote the development of socioscientific reasoning, and foster socioscientific identity. FIOSSI can be a useful tool for education research and practice, and our results can help inform future research and guide educational policies.

scientific communication and education↗