A toolbox for digitally enhanced teaching in synthetic biology

Muth, Liv Teresa; Sánchez, Liam Richard Jenkins; Claus, Silke; López, José Manuel Salvador; Bogaert, Inge Van

doi:10.1093/femsle/fnab115

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 69 publications

(55 reference statements)

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“…Indeed, progress in teaching synthetic biology has resulted in the incorporation of new resources, such as virtual laboratories, software for simulating molecular structures, and interactive experimental methods (Huang et al, 2018;Lineback and Jansma, 2019;Muth et al, 2021). Additionally, 3D printed molecular structures are now shown to be also a valuable tool in improving synthetic biology education.…”

Section: Discussion On the Practical Implications Objectives And Less...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To date, efforts have been made to incorporate novel resources into synthetic biology education, such as software for molecular structure simulation and visualization, virtual labs, and virtual gaming environments (Muth et al, 2021). For example, the Pymol software helps in understanding protein shapes and their relation to specific functions, and is used by molecular science instructors for visualization and computation of structures (Lineback and Jansma, 2019).…”

Section: Current Challenges In Synthetic Biology Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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SynBio in 3D: The first synthetic genetic circuit as a 3D printed STEM educational resource

et al. 2023

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Synthetic biology is a new area of science that operates at the intersection of engineering and biology and aims to design and synthesize living organisms and systems to perform new or improved functions. Despite the important role it plays in resolving global issues, instructing synthetic biology can be challenged by a limited availability of specific educational materials and techniques for explaining complex molecular mechanisms. On the other hand, digital fabrication tools, which allow the creation of 3D objects, are increasingly used for educational purposes, and several computational structures of molecular components commonly used in synthetic biology processes are deposited in open databases. Therefore, we hypothesized that the use of computer-assisted design (CAD) and 3D printing to create biomolecular structural models through hands-on interaction, followed by reflective observation, critical and analytical thinking, could enhance students’ learning in synthetic biology. In this sense, the present work describes the design, 3D printing process, and evaluation in classrooms of the molecular models of the first synthetic biological circuit, the genetic toggle switch. The 3D printed molecular structures can be freely downloaded and used by teachers to facilitate the training of STEM students in synthetic biology. Most importantly, the results demonstrated that our resource showed a significant positive impact (p < 0.05) on students’ learning process, indicating that the proposed method helped them better understand the genetic toggle switch.

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Section: Discussion On the Practical Implications Objectives And Less...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Current Challenges In Synthetic Biology Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

SynBio in 3D: The first synthetic genetic circuit as a 3D printed STEM educational resource

et al. 2023

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“…Esta nueva realidad suscitó el interés de numerosos investigadores, quienes llevaron a cabo pruebas en entornos digitales con diversas herramientas, las cuales se tradujeron en publicaciones que ampliaron la cantidad de evidencia sobre la aplicación de la educación gamificada (Ahmad et al, 2022;Muth et al, 2021;Park y Kim, 2019;Zhang et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

Impacto de la gamificación en el aprendizaje de estudiantes universitarios

Ramos Cevallos,

Segovia Avendaño,

Juárez Tamayo

2024

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La aplicación de estrategias de gamificación en la educación superior ha cobrado especial relevancia en estos últimos años a raíz de la pandemia por covid-19. Por eso, el objetivo del presente trabajo es identificar el impacto de dichas estrategias en el aprendizaje de estudiantes universitarios. Para ello, se efectuó un análisis de revisión de revisiones en la base Scopus utilizando términos asociados a la temática en cuestión, en la que se recurrió a la plataforma Rayyan. En concreto, se seleccionaron artículos publicados entre 2019 y 2023 de significativa aportación relacionados con el uso de estrategias de enseñanza a nivel profesional. Los resultados indicaron que la mayor cantidad de trabajos fueron divulgados a partir del año 2020 en España y Estados Unidos, los cuales impactaron principalmente en la motivación, el compromiso, la participación, la interacción y el trabajo en equipo. Como conclusión, se obtuvo el 100 % de coincidencia entre los autores, al señalar que la aplicación de la gamificación a nivel universitario es una estrategia con la capacidad de generar mejoras importantes en la experiencia educativa del estudiante; sin embargo, las concomitancias sobre el impacto en los resultados académicos alcanzaron el 73 %.

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“…Kitney and Freemont, 2012). In this review, various tools, and resources for digitally enhanced and distance education, such as Mass Open Online Courses (MOOC), gamification, virtual student competitions, wet lab simulators and virtual labs, social media, online discussions and debates, YouTube playlists and podcasts, virtual lectures, and virtual laboratories, were reviewed, organized, and evaluated for strengths and shortcomings in a virtual environment Muth et al (2021). provided educators with a "diversified toolbox" of examples of digital tools, strategies, and resources for the design and implementation practices for their own virtual learning environment.…”

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confidence: 99%

Instructors and Underrepresented Students in Microbiology: Educational Digital Tool Use, Trends, Perceptions, and Success

Bradshaw-Ward

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The purpose of this three-article dissertation was to expand knowledge and theory regarding digital tool use in biology laboratory courses, such as microbiology, which requires specific laboratory skill development through the perception of instructors and students. Article 1 establishes the broad digital literacy and fluency problem in education by providing definitions and the context behind digital literacy fluency and its impact on acquisition of knowledge in digital learning environments. The study provided a picture of the lack of knowledge about the use of digital tools in education and practical problems around appropriate implementation, infrastructure, and preparedness. Article 2 presents results of a literature research study about the foundational, pandemic-induced, and current digital tool use in biology and microbiology lab courses. Recommendations for improvement in digital tool implementation, pedagogical approach, and appropriate selection to meet learning outcomes were provided. Article 3 describes a 3-layered study to build a new instrument to understand minority-student perceptions of identity and digital literacy and technology barriers on student success in STEM courses. The study identified challenges and benefits of digital tool use in virtual microbiology lab courses, unique challenges of underrepresented populations, and the need to develop an instrument to capture the context of this unique population.

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A toolbox for digitally enhanced teaching in synthetic biology

Cited by 4 publications

References 69 publications

SynBio in 3D: The first synthetic genetic circuit as a 3D printed STEM educational resource

SynBio in 3D: The first synthetic genetic circuit as a 3D printed STEM educational resource

Impacto de la gamificación en el aprendizaje de estudiantes universitarios

Instructors and Underrepresented Students in Microbiology: Educational Digital Tool Use, Trends, Perceptions, and Success

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