Peer teaching as bioinformatics training strategy: incentives, challenges, and benefits.

As biomedical research becomes more data-intensive, bioinformatics is becoming essential to understanding biological processes, systems, and diseases. In this paper we describe the use of a series of peer teaching workshops as a strategy to respond to the bioinformatics training needs at a research-intensive institution. In addition to the data collected from the workshops, we also used personal experiences of researchers who participated as peer teachers to understand the incentives, challenges, and benefits of peer teaching. Developing communication skills such as confidence in teaching, explaining complex concepts, and better understanding of the topic emerged as primary benefits that the teachers obtained from this experience. Lack of time for teaching and the struggles of classroom management were identified as two major challenges. We suggest that peer teaching can be beneficial not only to train researchers in bioinformatics, but also as a professional development opportunity for graduate students and postdoctoral trainees.

Adopt a Bacterium: a professional development opportunity for teacher assistants

ABSTRACT Science teaching in most Brazilian Universities tends to focus mainly on lectures and provides few opportunities for the development of modern teaching skills. Our group developed an online tool called Adopt a Bacterium, which consists on a Facebook group where teacher assistants (TAs) can interact with students and have a first contact with student-focused learning approaches. This work shows the TAs’ own assessment of how the tool could be further explored to help them develop skills and become better teachers.

Effects on Career Development From Sharing One’s Story: Young Professionals’ Experiences With Family Planning Voices

Supporting the development of young family planning professionals is key to fostering communities of practitioners that can help countries achieve family planning goals. The Family Planning Voices (FP Voices) storytelling initiative, created by The Knowledge for Health Project and Family Planning 2020, documents stories from people around the world who are passionate about family planning. This qualitative evaluation used in-depth interviews ( n = 11) with young professionals (ages 18-30) to uncover the effects of sharing their story with FP Voices. Participants came from 10 countries in one of three regions, Latin America ( n = 2), South Asia ( n = 2), and Africa ( n = 7). Findings highlight that sharing one’s story with FP Voices served as a professional development opportunity and instilled confidence and pride among young professionals. Additionally, participants linked access to a professional headshot and the experience of participating in an interview to their professional development. Participants often discussed the recognition they gained from sharing their story and the resulting increase in professional connections and opportunities. Participants hoped that their stories would inspire and encourage others and support recognition of the value of young professionals to the larger family planning field. In sum, storytelling initiatives like FP Voices can motivate and create community and opportunity among young professionals.

ILED: Iowa Leadership in Engineering Design

Based on results of a 2018 Iowa Science Teacher Section survey, the Iowa Science Foundation of the Iowa Academy of Science funded a professional development opportunity focused on engineering design (ISF 19–01). A free one–day workshop was created for school districts in Iowa, and the first was held in fall of 2019. During this workshop, teachers learned more about engineering design, experienced engineering design activities from kindergarten through high school levels, and brainstormed facets of engineering design. The day ended with guiding teachers in writing their own engineering design activities. The workshop was successful and well–received according to a post–workshop survey using a five–point rating scale. Comments included “I have a better understanding of how to use engineering design in my classroom” (4.56/5.00), “I was able to make good progress in developing an engineering design activity” (4.67/5.00), and “I would recommend this workshop to friends and colleagues” (4.78/5.00. Participating teachers learned skills that will impact more than 1,100 students, and additional workshops continue to be scheduled.

Understanding Teachers' Knowledge and Perceptions on Writing Through a Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) Professional Development Opportunity

Teachers must be equipped with the skills necessary to effectively deliver quality instruction, especially when implementing an evidence-based practice. Delivering these practices with high levels of fidelity requires knowledge that goes beyond what is learned in initial teacher preparation programs, often requiring ongoing and targeted professional development. In the current study, 19 teachers and instructional personnel attended and completed a professional development opportunity to learn how to use the Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) model, an evidence-based practice, when teaching writing. Pre- and post-professional development surveys were completed and analyzed to evaluate whether meaningful outcomes occurred. Results indicated that the professional development caused participants to re-conceptualize their knowledge and perceptions of quality writing and quality writing instruction and to explicitly share intentions to implement SRSD writing instruction in their classrooms. Results will be shared and implications for future research discussed.