| Autor: |
Fung EB; Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute Summer Student Research Program, Oakland, CA., Frey MR; Samuels Family Latino and African-American High School Internship Program, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA., Valmont ME; Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health, Health Science Academy, Brooklyn, NY., Caffey-Fleming DE; Project STRIDE, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles CA., Fraser M; Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health, Health Science Academy, Brooklyn, NY., Williams J; Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health, Health Science Academy, Brooklyn, NY., Killilea DW; Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute Summer Student Research Program, Oakland, CA., Bogenmann E; Samuels Family Latino and African-American High School Internship Program, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA., Livshits S; Hillman Academy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA., Boone DN; Hillman Academy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA. |
| Abstrakt: |
In 2020, STEM training programs across the country were challenged to provide support to students during a nation-wide shutdown of research institutions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Five U.S. high school science internship programs funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, with a history of collaboration, developed innovative strategies for distance-learning (DL) opportunities during the pandemic. Forty under-represented high school and undergraduate students were paired with scientific mentors at one of the programs for a DL scientific internship. Summer training combined synchronous and asynchronous programming with research projects adapted for DL success. Ninety-five percent of students who participated were satisfied with the training experience, nearly identical to exit survey responses from 2019 when our programs were held in-person. More students were interested in pursuing a career in research at the end of the program and credited the DL experience with increasing interest in research careers. Some DL elements were ideal for underrepresented youth, including a more flexible schedule and elimination of cost and time for travel. While the lack of in-person instruction challenged our ability to create a strong student community, we found that preparation, communication, and flexibility were key elements to these successful DL programs. The increased emphasis on interpretation and analysis of data, rather than data collection, enhanced student learning. This manuscript highlights the changes made to our curricula, elements which were most successful, and recommends strategies for future distance-learning programming. |
