A bioinformatics-driven CURE extension increases student self-efficacy and interest in biomedical research.

IF 1.6 Q2 EDUCATION, SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES
Héctor G Loyola Irizarry, Hiram Duarte, Kyoko Nakamura, Rocio Benabentos, Melissa McCartney, Jessica Siltberg-Liberles
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Abstract

The biology workforce has a need for undergraduate students trained in bioinformatics. Although bioinformatics is a critical sub-discipline of biology, it is not required in all biology degree programs. In parallel, there is a need to increase student access to research experiences. To address these needs, we offer a one-credit bioinformatics-focused and computational biology course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE), here called the CB-CURE. Preliminary data suggest the CB-CURE increased student interest, knowledge, and self-efficacy, but also reveal a shortage of access to undergraduate research experiences (UREs) in faculty labs at our large institution. To provide a more URE-like experience for a class setting, we developed a one-semester extension to the CB-CURE, called CURE+. In CURE+, students execute individual bioinformatics-driven research projects and obtain additional career development and mentoring. To evaluate CURE+, we measured students' bioinformatics and research self-efficacy, interest in bioinformatics and research, and emotions toward their project. Additionally, we evaluated student mastery of the CURE+ learning outcomes to determine if the experience successfully enabled students to develop their research skills. Our data show significant increases in (i) student self-efficacy in various bioinformatics and research skills and (ii) student interest in bioinformatics-related activities and in biomedical research. Students had positive emotions toward their research project, and a majority of students mastered the CURE+ learning outcomes. Our data suggest that an intensive CURE extension can provide a potentially transformative research experience that helps fill a void in access to research at institutions with a high student-to-faculty ratio.

生物信息学驱动的CURE扩展提高了学生的自我效能感和对生物医学研究的兴趣。
生物学工作者需要受过生物信息学训练的本科生。虽然生物信息学是生物学的一个重要分支学科,但并不是所有生物学学位课程都需要它。与此同时,有必要增加学生获得研究经验的机会。为了满足这些需求,我们提供了一个以生物信息学为重点和计算生物学课程为基础的一学分本科研究经验(CURE),这里称为CB-CURE。初步数据表明,CB-CURE提高了学生的兴趣、知识和自我效能感,但也揭示了在我们这个大型机构的教员实验室获得本科生研究经验(UREs)的机会不足。为了在课堂设置中提供更像ure的体验,我们开发了一个一学期的CB-CURE扩展,称为CURE+。在CURE+中,学生执行个人生物信息学驱动的研究项目,并获得额外的职业发展和指导。为了评估CURE+,我们测量了学生的生物信息学和研究自我效能感、对生物信息学和研究的兴趣以及对项目的情绪。此外,我们评估了学生对CURE+学习结果的掌握程度,以确定这种经历是否成功地使学生发展了他们的研究技能。我们的数据显示,(i)学生在各种生物信息学和研究技能方面的自我效能显著提高,(ii)学生对生物信息学相关活动和生物医学研究的兴趣显著提高。学生对自己的研究项目有积极的情绪,大部分学生掌握了CURE+学习成果。我们的数据表明,密集的CURE扩展可以提供潜在的变革性研究体验,有助于填补学生与教师比例高的机构在获得研究方面的空白。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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来源期刊
Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education
Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education EDUCATION, SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES-
CiteScore
3.00
自引率
26.30%
发文量
95
审稿时长
22 weeks
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