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Moderator: Mao-Lun Weng, Westfield State University

Development and Evaluation of a Hyflex Microbiology lab for inclusive teaching during COVID-19

Kimberly Berman, Assistant Professor of Biology, Westfield State University

Teaching laboratory courses typically requires careful supervision and instruction. Unplanned campus shut-downs and quick modality changes due to COVID-19 have resulted in significant challenges to effectively teaching lab-based courses. Though commercial hands-on lab kits are available to perform at home, oftentimes they are financially prohibitive, costing upwards of $200 per student. Virtual lab kits, either as stand-alone products or as an add-on to online textbooks, typically do not provide adequate microbiology lab skills.

The Hybrid Flexible model (Hyflex) was first developed by Beatty et al. as a way to make their program more accessible and allow students to participate either online or in-person. In this model, both a fully online and fully in-person course is developed so that students can easily transition between modalities. It insures that students are not penalized if they choose the online modality. Given the uncertainty of possible campus closure, quarantining and/or illness of students, developing a Hyflex lab course where a seamless transition to either online or in-person was critical during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The logistics of creating a Hyflex lab model with a custom-built hands-on microbiology lab kit that mimics the in-person experience will be presented. The advantages and disadvantages of the Hyflex Medical Microbiology course will be discussed as well as the lab safety concerns, dissemination, hurdles, as well as evaluation of the Hyflex lab modality from the student perspective. Moving forward, this model could be used as a method of attracting new students and increasing recruitment of long-distance students.

How effective is the Visible Body® 3-Dimensional online platform for learning human anatomy?

Luis Rosado, Assistant Professor, Worcester State University

Human anatomy is often considered difficult to learn by university students because it requires good spatial awareness and three-dimensional visualization of both surface level and deep body structures. Over the past two decades an increasing number of 3-D computer-based models of ever improving quality have been incorporated in the human anatomy learning classroom with varying levels of success. Previous studies have shown some effectiveness of simple 3-D computer models in enhancing anatomical knowledge for students. However, cutting edge technology in this domain such as the Visible Body® (VB) learning platform has yet to be examined for in-class learning effectiveness. The purpose of the current project is to determine the pedagogical effectiveness of 3-D anatomical modeling computer software such as the VB learning platform in Human Anatomy classes. Additionally, our goal is to determine the effectiveness of 3-D modeling software under the constraining needs of a blended classroom setting during the COVID-19 Global Health Pandemic. Our preliminary questionnaire results show strong support for the effectiveness of the VB learning platform. These results are encouraging and show how utilizing 3-D computer modeling in the classroom can be a useful tool for learning human anatomy. The strength of these results may be influenced by the high reliance placed on the technology to accommodate the constraints of the COVID-19 Global Health Pandemic. While encouraging, it remains to be seen if the incorporation of this technology on our return to a face-to-face classroom modality will be as effective.

Positives from the Piv*t: Adapting General Biology & Cell Biology Courses to a New Era

Megan Dennis, Assistant Professor of Biology, Marist College

Nearly 15 months into teaching in the time of COVID19, emails calling for a pivot between instructional modes have disrupted plans and increased stress levels among teaching faculty and students. However, this upheaval has forced a reimagination of courses, and as we emerge into a more normal educational landscape there are aspects of pandemic-era courses that provide tangible improvements and are worth retaining in the curriculum. For the 2020-21 year, Marist adopted a model that allowed in-person attendance for classes as much as feasible. Courses were taught using hybrid or HyFlex modalities (instructor preference) or were fully remote for high-risk faculty. Courses with a laboratory component were taught as hybrid courses, with students required to attend in-person lab sessions during alternating weeks. Fall and spring terms included planned remote instruction at the end or beginning of the semester, respectively, and each term also included at least two weeks of unplanned remote instruction as case counts surged on campus. This presentation will focus on successes during this up-and-down year that can be incorporated into both upper and lower division courses moving forward, and which support development of skills, resilience and scientific identity for all students. Examples from course labs include development of remote modules focused on discipline-specific information literacy and experimental design & data presentation relating to in-person experiments. Components from non-lab settings will also be presented, including those relating to building metacognitive skills, and encouraging higher-order thinking about course material in both introductory- and upper-level courses while maintaining authentic assessment.