Education

The availability of online resources has boomed in recent years, spurred on by the remote working surge during the pandemic. Some topics are more easily adapted to online than other topics, and lab work can be particularly tricky. That is why I approached the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research (NIBRT) Online Academy (NOA) with some skepticism. Would an online resource really be able to impart enough information about lab topics to be worth the time? The price was right, free! But the course is an hour and a half, and that is a solid chunk of time. I decided to... Read more

Chemical and Engineering News is not a journal I read very often, but a recent article titled “Help wanted in biomanufacturing” definitely caught my eye. Successes within the R&D and business fronts of life sciences companies have pushed technologies to commercial-scale production facilities. But there aren’t enough technicians to operate the machines that grow the cells. It isn’t a crisis….yet.

And with some smart and timely programs, it won’t become a crisis. Programs such as companies partnering with schools to set up a local associate’s degree program in hopes of then employing “home grown” talent. The Massachusetts Biotechnology Education... Read more

Genetics has been traditionally taught in the high school with Gregor Mendel and his pea plants. But the staff at the Science Education Partnership (SEP) at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center believe that today's high schoolers really want to know the science behind race, racism, and genetics. And high school teachers are desperate to figure out how to teach this complex subject.

SEP has put together a curriculum unit called Race, Racism, and Genetics that is made to help high school science teachers navigate the challenging subject of race and genetics. SEP's eight-lesson... Read more

What defines a stem cell? How many types of stem cells are there? How can stem cells be used to understand and treat diseases? To answer those questions and many more, the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) has designed a dynamic syllabus and learning guide geared towards teaching undergraduates and medical students the fundamentals of stem cell biology. Core Concepts in Stem Cell Biology: Syllabus and Learning Guide incorporates key learning objectives and
annotated foundational papers to assist educators with this subject.

“Stem cell research and regenerative medicine is a rapidly advancing field,”... Read more

Fantastic new opportunity! Please consider submitting proposals to this program as you think about how the V & C movement has impacted biology education at community colleges. And share with your colleagues at 2 year, 4 year, and R1 institutes.

The National Science Foundation's (NSF's) Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) acknowledges the need to expand and chronicle educational change efforts across the nation. To this end, DUE invites proposals to study the impact of the Vision and Change (V&C) movement in Undergraduate Biology Education. Specifically, this program seeks to support... Read more

Now more than ever we are turning to eLearning to develop new skills! The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides online training for public health laboratory professionals. This Microbiology eLearning Series contains five eLearning courses and covers basic microbiology laboratory skills and procedures necessary to identify microorganisms from clinical specimens. Job aids and laboratory exercises are included so participants may work with a supervisor/mentor to comprehend and perform proper microbiology techniques.

The five courses are:

In June 2019, a group of STEM educators from across the country came together to discuss a widely-misunderstood approach to laboratory work: design of experiments (DOE). DOE is a system that optimizes processes through the methodical varying of key parameters and a formalized statistical approach to analyzing and interpreting data, and applying the results. However, as it is not commonly used in academia outside of engineering fields, many STEM educators have little to no experience with DOE.

MiraCosta College’s biotechnology faculty and the Dean of Math and Sciences gave STEM educators an opportunity to... Read more