ABSTRACT

Biophysics is defined by the experimental data that are collected on an extensive array of powerful and elegant tools. To solve important problems in biophysics, an understanding of the capabilities and limitations of the current instrumental methods is needed. Although lecture-based courses can instruct students on the physical principles of biophysical instrumentation, the actual practical use of instrumentation can seem far from the concepts taught through presentations or books. Traditionally, laboratory courses can expose students to hands-on use and understanding of experimental methods. During the COVID-19 pandemic, laboratory-based courses were challenging or, at times, prohibited. The educational aim of this article is to connect the instrumental concepts learned in lecture to the use of instruments for experiments when students are unable to go into laboratory environments. I present a low-stakes assignment for students to explore the biophysical instrumentation at core facilities. Prompts were provided to guide students through methods and challenges when using an instrument in a laboratory. These were then shared in a group environment so students could learn about multiple instruments in a single class and further benefit from social interactions with their peers, combating isolation during remote courses. Beyond remote instruction during COVID-19, this assignment can be applicable to future courses where laboratory work is cost-, time-, or location-prohibitive. Adaptations for in-person instruction are also discussed.

Demand for undergraduate research experiences typically outstrips the available laboratory positions, which could have been exacerbated during the remote work conditions imposed by the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic. This report presents a collection of examples of how undergraduates have been engaged in research under pandemic work restrictions. Examples include a range of projects related to fluid dynamics, cancer biology, nanomedicine, circadian clocks, metabolic disease, catalysis, and environmental remediation. Adaptations were made that included partnerships between remote and in-person research students and students taking on more data analysis and literature surveys, as well as data mining, computational, and informatics projects. In many cases,

Introduction

Converting in-person courses to an online and asynchronous format requires significant updates to instructional materials. In this report, we share how we adapted a two-semester, undergraduate biochemistry laboratory sequence to this modality, while simultaneously engaging students in the science of COVID-19. We modified the advanced course mid-semester and planned changes to the introductory course in advance. Pedagogical choices made in the advanced course leveraged pre-existing materials, which supported new learning objectives focused on SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. In contrast, changes to the introductory course relied heavily on new materials, which preserved the original course learning objectives and

Shira Passentin is a MSc student in the Department of Science Teaching at the Weizmann Institute of Science. She also is a teacher of science and technology in a middle school (junior high school) in Israel. In this article, she describes a simple biophysical activity, performed by her students at home during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdowns, which explicates the meaning and importance of surface area in a biologic context.

The Biophysicist: Teaching and Learning during COVID-19

Remote Exploration of Experimental Biophysical Instrumentation in Core Facilities

ABSTRACT

What Worked, What Did Not: University Instruction during a Pandemic

Report on BASICS: Lesson Plan on Aerosols and Infection

Introduction

Reflections on COVID-19–Induced Online Teaching in Biophysics Courses

Updating MoonProt From Home: An Online Student Research Project During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Adapting Undergraduate Research to Remote Work to Increase Engagement

An Approach to Transitioning Undergraduate Biochemistry Laboratory Courses Online

Introduction

Reaching Behind the Black Screen

The Biophysicist: Teaching and Learning during COVID-19

Report on BASICS: Lesson Plan on Aerosols and Infection

Remote Exploration of Experimental Biophysical Instrumentation in Core Facilities

Reflections on COVID-19–Induced Online Teaching in Biophysics Courses

An Approach to Transitioning Undergraduate Biochemistry Laboratory Courses Online