Of biofilms and beehives: An analogy-based instructional tool to introduce biofilms in school and undergraduate curriculum.
| Autor: | Kadam S; Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, United Kingdom., Chattopadhyay A; School of Bio Sciences and Technology, VIT University, Vellore, India., Kaushik KS; Department of Biotechnology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India. |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Zdroj: | Biofilm [Biofilm] 2022 Jan 05; Vol. 4, pp. 100066. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Jan 05 (Print Publication: 2022). |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.bioflm.2021.100066 |
| Abstrakt: | The concept of biofilms and biofilm-based research is largely absent or minimally described in school and undergraduate life science curriculum. While it is well-established that microbes, such as bacteria and fungi, most often exist in multicellular biofilm communities, descriptions in standard biology textbooks continue to focus on the single-celled form of microbial life. We have developed an analogy-based instructional tool to introduce and explain biofilms to school and undergraduate students. The module employs an analogy with beehives, given that biofilms and beehives are both 'superorganism' states, to explain key biofilm features such as development and structure, chemical communication, division of labor and emergent properties. We delivered this analogy-based learning tool to a cohort of 49 students, including middle-to-high school and undergraduate students, and based on participant feedback and learnings, present a formal evaluation of the instructional tool. Further, we outline prerequisites and learning approaches that can enable the delivery of this module in classroom and virtual learning settings, including suggestions for pre-lesson reading, student-centred interactive activities, and specific learning objectives. Taken together, this instructional analogy holds potential to serve as an educational tool to introduce biofilms in school and undergraduate curricula in a relatable and comprehensible manner. Competing Interests: The authors declare that this work was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. (© 2022 The Authors.) |
| Databáze: | MEDLINE |
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