There are many challenges involved in developing high quality learning materials in the STEM field, particularly for laboratory skills. Using online learning modules, we seek to improve students’ understanding of and confidence with experimental design and data analysis in preparation for applying to medical school or other health professions.
Post baccalaureate pre-professional (Postbac) programs are tailored to educate prospective medical school applicants who are either changing careers or who have not completed the “pre-med” requirements (AAMC, 2017). Postbac programs and offer rigorous Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) curriculum geared toward teaching these students who typically have limited science backgrounds. More universities are starting Postbac programs every year, with general trends indicating a 45% increase in program offerings (Capuzzi, 2012). The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) remains the standardized test of choice for United States medical school admissions committees and one of the primary obstacles for the medical school applicant to overcome. The exam assesses knowledge in four broad domains: 1) biological and biochemical foundations of living systems, 2) chemical and physical foundations of biological systems, 3) psychological, social, and biological foundations of behavior, and 4) critical analysis and reasoning skills. Through testing these core areas, the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) seeks to gauge an individual’s readiness to enter into medical training and ability to engage in scientific inquiry. Traditional medical school applicants who completed laboratory classes in their undergraduate education may be more likely to be ready to engage in this type of thinking than their “non-traditional” applicant counterparts who have little, if any, scientific methods experience. In fact, many students in Thomas Jefferson University's Pre-professional Post-baccalaureate Program (P4) responded in surveys that they felt underprepared for scientific technique questions on the MCAT. As a result, there is a great need for TJU's P4 program to adequately prepare their students to think like scientists. Research suggests that online learning methods have the potential to become powerful pedagogical mechanisms through which instructors may meet the needs of “non-traditional” Postbac students.
Technology already plays an important role in developing innovative solutions for STEM education. This is especially relevant today in medical education given the constraints on time for resident duty hours and the ever-expanding volume of medical information available through the use of technology. The flipped classroom model has gained popularity in the last few years, and research shows that students benefit from this approach with respect to improved test scores, course completion rates, attitudes toward learning, retention of information, engagement, skills training, and learning outcomes (Chen, Metcalf, & Tutwiler, 2014; Grotzer et al., 2015; Sitzman, 2011). This method involves the use of online platforms and tools to teach content (e.g., basic concepts, new content, or complex concepts) before class while in-person class time is used to apply the material and explore the content more deeply using active learning techniques. A few of the innovative technology-enabled tools used for STEM education include gaming, online laboratories, and real-time formative assessment.
One model of educational gaming includes video games, simulations or virtual worlds (Raju, Ahmed & Anumba, 2011; Aldrich, 2009). Online laboratories include virtual laboratories that allow students to simulate scientific experiments and remote laboratories that give students access to real laboratory equipment from a distance through the Internet (Jona et al., 2011; Tasiopoulou & Schwarzenbacher, 2011). In real-time formative assessment, software enables a variety of inputs to be used for student assessment including open format replies, student questions, pictures or mathematical formulas (Enriquez, 2010; Briggs & Keyek-Franssen, 2010; Kohl et al., 2011; Gardner, Kowalski & Kowalski, 2012). Potential benefits from using these and other related technologies include improved learning, engagement, motivation and problem-solving skills. Not only is there a rise in the use of online interactive technology in higher education, but evidence suggests that the effective use of these tools can facilitate deeper understanding of laboratory techniques in particular.
In a study conducted at UCLA comparing the effectiveness of two types of virtual-based labs to traditional in-class biology labs, professors found that students completing the virtual-based labs received higher grades and experienced higher incidences of positive attitude towards biology (Son, 2016). In another study looking at the effectiveness of an online biology lab course in teaching non-biology majors at Oklahoma State University, the researchers found a positive correlation between increased involvement with online materials and class performance (Foster, 2012). It is important to note that in both of these studies students participated in in-person laboratory lectures where they were able to apply knowledge learned from online content. Additionally, there is evidence to suggest that fully online courses have the potential to be powerful platforms for teaching more effective problem based learning skills (Hack, 2013; Lemons, 2015). These skills are crucial for interpreting data produced by laboratory experiments. Lastly, studies suggest that fully online courses can effectively teach more complex disciplines in the biomedical sciences, including immunology and cancer biology with positive results for over 10 years for the latter (Efferth, 2013; Alves, 2013). We believe that the studies presented here demonstrate the potential of online learning to facilitate understanding of laboratory techniques and provide a well-established framework for their implementation, structure and evaluation.
Thomas Jefferson University’s P4 program aims to teach prospective medical students basic science requirements that will help, in part, gain entrance into medical school. TJU's P4 Program targets two student populations and assigns appropriate trajectories: 1) individuals with some science background are placed in the One-Year Accelerated Track and 2) individuals with no science background are placed in the Two-Year Track. Both tracks require students to take a MCAT preparation course. Among the prerequisite courses for medical school are General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and Biochemistry with electives including Anatomy & Physiology, Microbiology, and Psychology. The goal of our project is in line with previous online laboratory practices and seeks to use a Backward Design approach to develop learning modules by first identifying the desired results, determining the acceptable levels of evidence and, finally, creating the activities to facilitate the desired results (Wiggins & McTighe, 1998). The online learning modules will be deployed as supplemental lab instruction for students in the P4 Program. We intend to teach students research techniques to prepare them for, in part, questions on the MCAT exam or when interpreting the literature during their health careers. Utilizing the principles of Universal Design for Learning (CAST, 2012), we will provide multiple methods for presenting the content and engaging and assessing students through the use of interactive STEM modules. The web-based tools will teach P4 STEM students about laboratory techniques and the collection and interpretation of related data. While every student starts with a unique knowledge base, after completing our module(s), students should be able to:
- Recognize the scientific technique and appropriate methods of data analysis
- Understand the key context of when a technique would be useful
- Understand the limitations of the technique
- Appreciate the application of the technique in a healthcare setting
- Relate methodology used in basic biology to health science
In this INNOVATION LAB, we will discuss our process, successes and challenges; showcase one or more modules with audience participation; and solicit session participant feedback.
Discussion: a 5-minute facilitated, quick-start conversation to kick off the lab session
- Brief overview of the non-science majors in TJU’s P4 Biomedical Science Program and discuss the identified educational need in our program
- Discuss the process for creating STEM online learning modules
Demonstration: a 20-minute interactive lab session
- The facilitators will share a brief overview and demonstration of one or more of the online learning modules.
- Audience participants will then be placed into groups to experience one or more of the learning modules first hand and evaluate one of the modules using a short checklist/form to include suggestions for modification.
Innovation: a 20-minute lab session for participants to process, discuss and apply the concepts and practices shared
- The groups will present findings and share potential modifications.
- Facilitators will briefly share results from pilot study for comparison
- Participants will reflect on and share practical application in their own instructional context.