We redesigned a microbial biotechnology course to incorporate elements of entrepreneurial education, authentic learning, and various learning theories. This session will describe some the new methods of engagement, impacts on students, and facilitate discussions around how one might implement the framework in their own course and future paths.
A 2-credit content-dense Microbiology course focused on the application of the tools of microbiology/biotechnology tools to exploit microbes as “vessels” to create an array of products to benefit humans, animals and the environment. For this course, an example activity was for students to discuss the use of microbes in the cleanup of polluted environments (bioremediation) as well as their role in producing drugs (vaccines, antibiotics, etc.), industrially important enzymes (rennet, meat tenderizers, indigo production etc.), biodegradable plastics, etc. Course grades were composed of discussions, two exams, two quizzes, and a project. The project was straight-forward: a powerpoint and a report.
In the new rendition of the course, the objectives were the same, but the approach was much different. Leveraging concepts of engaged scholarship, authentic learning, social cognitive theory, and motivation, the course was redesigned to create an active and exciting learning experience where students worked in groups that were now transformed into “small biotech startup companies.” The teacher was no longer the sage on the stage, she was the guide on the side. The groups were tasked with developing and pitching a novel value-added product in microbial biotechnology that would benefit the world, at large. The class was taken to a small community startup hub on the edge of campus. Marketing experts were brought in to inform about research, strategy, budgeting, and metrics. Additionally, students had to learn communication skills, project management, and time management to implement and bring the product to a state where it was ready for feedback and review. Then, students had to deliver a formal presentation illustrating product utility, collecting feedback, scale of the project, and ultimately, how it could be funded. At the end of the presentations, students were given 1 million “Biotech Bucks” to invest across projects, demonstrating what products they felt would be most successful and what they valued the most. The investments were recorded in a Google chart that was embedded in Canva, where live investments were displayed to the class, driving students who had already presented to keep “marketing their product” and those who hadn’t to “knock it out of the park.” Students also had the opportunity to explain their investment amounts.
Unique aspects of the course that transformed it is that it:
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Turned learning over to the students. They are given a problem, and they need to solve it.
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Involved external stakeholders. Students from other disciplines (such as business or information sciences and technology) to consult on business and technological challenges. People from industry are invited in to share knowledge and feedback.
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Motivated students and improved self-efficacy by giving students choice and empowering them to design solutions to challenging problems. Students were more motivated to attend class, participate, and believed that they were competent contributors.
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Fostered connections between STEM in the classroom and what it really means to be doing STEM in the real world.
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Allowed students to see the value of their ideas through the investment of funds.
We’ll take a look at the course, discuss some of the learning theory behind the design, and provide some examples and student feedback. Currently, this course is delivered in a face-to-face format, and definitely could be delivered in a blended format. Participants will be encouraged to discuss ways this may be implemented as an online course. We will discuss technologies that could facilitate such online activities. Finally, there is a consideration about how this course format helps students make the connection between STEM in the classroom and how they fit into STEM in the real world.