Motivating college students toward COVID vaccinations must include campus peer influencers listening and giving accurate, memorable, and clear information. Swag wouldn’t hurt either. “Vaccines will soon be available for all Maryland adults – when will you get yours? a) I’ve already gotten it b) ASAP c) Eventually d) When they make me e) I won’t My sample size was small ~ 40 students in my General Microbiology class. We’re over halfway through the semester and they are used to my passion for microbiology and concern for their success as well. The poll was anonymous, one of the ways I like to start class to build community and check in with students during these crazy virtual times. I was shocked. A quarter of the students were in the last 2 categories – “When they make me” or “I won’t”! WHAT? These students have had their fun, activity-packed college career upended by a pandemic! Online classes rip away existing structure, can be isolating, and requires much more preparation and time on the instructor and students. Students with mental health crises are skyrocketing. Grandparents and parents are dying of COVID. They are struggling. We as faculty are struggling. Yes, half of the students
Crafty Microbiology: Teaching Microbiology Skills Online
Crisis inspires innovation! We developed Crafty Microbiology to teach essential microbiology skills at home using safe, common, cheap craft supplies and disposable lab tools. A.M. Estes, A.S. Jozwick, and J.E. Kerr 2021 How can you teach students fundamental microbiology skills at home – safely? The COVID-19 pandemic has been quite the disruptor for educators and students alike. To stop the spread of this virus, we human hosts need to stay away from each other! SARS-CoV2 is super tricky since many infected people don’t show symptoms or have mild symptoms. So what do you do when the skills your students need to learn can’t be done face-to-face? In-person Microbiology Labs Microbiology laboratory, in particular, is tough to teach to students at home. Typically students learn how to grow and test non-disease-causing bacteria in the Microbiology teaching labs on campus. Growing bacteria requires special media “food” for the bacteria, incubators to keep the cultures at the right temperature, and lab equipment – including Bunsen burners and special tools for moving the bacteria. A fundamental skill is learning “Sterile” or “Aseptic” technique. Students learn how to grow only the non-pathogenic, Risk Group 1 microbes they are given. Sounds easy – right? Well, no.