Development and Implementation of a Virtual Cell Culture Lab Practical for an Introductory BME Lab Course
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Biomedical Engineering Education (Ó 2020) https://doi.org/10.1007/s43683-020-00016-x
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Development and Implementation of a Virtual Cell Culture Lab Practical for an Introductory BME Lab Course BENJAMIN DAVID , FAISAL MASOOD , and KARIN JENSEN Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA (Received 30 June 2020; accepted 5 August 2020)
Abstract—The transition to remote learning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the adaptation of an in-person cell culture lab practical to a virtual assessment in an introductory biomedical engineering lab course. The virtual lab practical was administered in the course LMS and implemented video, data analysis, and multiple-choice questions. Average student scores and grade distributions were comparable across in-person and virtual lab practical formats. Instructors observed fewer grading concerns for the virtual practical compared to previous in-person offerings. The virtual lab practical may be preferred over in-person lab practical in future offerings due to decreased student stress, lower cost, reduced required instructor time, and limited availability of equipment. Resources developed for the virtual practical, including video tutorials and a hemocytometer simulator to practice calculations, can be used by other educators and as supplements to existing course material. Keywords—Laboratory, Cell culture, Online learning, Lab practical, Undergraduate.
CHALLENGE STATEMENT In the field of biomedical engineering (BME), it is agreed that lab courses are essential to allow students to appreciate the connection between theoretical classes and the physical world.15 Previous work has also shown that an agentive BME lab class further improves learning outcomes, supporting hands-on labs as an impactful learning tool.13 At the University of Illinois UrbanaAddress correspondence to Karin Jensen, Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA. Electronic mail: [email protected] Benjamin David and Faisal Masood contributed equally to the work.
Champaign, Cell and Tissue Engineering Lab is a required course for sophomores in bioengineering. The course provides the first exposure to wet lab work and mammalian cell culture in the curriculum. One of the learning outcomes for the course stated by the syllabus is ‘‘by the end of class, students will be able to culture bacterial and mammalian cells and use them in experiments.’’ To assess student learning of mammalian cell culture technique, a lab practical is conducted at the end of the semester. In past semesters, students have performed basic cell culture techniques and calculations necessary to seed a new cell flask, and they were graded based on the proper implementation of the procedure and the use of aseptic technique. Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, all instruction of cell culture was completed in the lab; however, the lab practical had yet to be conducted. In the process of moving to online instruction, the ins
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