Multiplying Efforts In Latin America – The ALAM-ASM-UNESCO Workshop On Microbiology Education 2010

VERÓNICA B. RAJAL; JUANA ORTELLADO; TODD PETERSON

Maryland

Congreso; 18th Annual Conference for Undergraduate Educators; 2011

American Society for Microbiology

The ASM-UNESCO WORKSHOP ON MICROBIOLOGY EDUCATION (WS) was a one-day workshop to train a select group of educators from developing countries in Latin America (LA) in new pedagogical resources and techniques available through ASM.  The WS was organized in conjunction with the 2010 Latin American Congress on Microbiology and inspired by the ASM Conference for Undergraduate Educators (ASMCUE). This pilot effort was conducted by two LA microbiology professors who received similar training through the ASMCUE-UNESCO Leadership Grant for International Educators (Colorado, May 2009) and one ASM staff person.  Twenty-one educators from eight LA countries participated in the WS. The project consisted of two parts. The first part included pre-WS tasks using a distance learning platform called Moodle where participants discussed challenges and experiences in microbiology education. It was determined that microbiology educators from across LA face similar challenges to engaging their students and imparting a critical scientific foundation.  The second part was an on-site WS held September 27, 2010 in Montevideo, Uruguay, where participants received hands-on training in new web-based resources and methods.  Innovative classroom activities, to be implemented in their home institutions, were developed in groups and tested on each other.  An anonymous participant survey was conducted at the end of the WS.  84% said the training was highly relevant and scored the WS between good and excellent.  100% graded the instructors, lectures and compliance with expectations between good and excellent.  89% stated that they will be able to implement the new teaching activities in their home institutions.  However, 53% noted that more time was needed for practical activities to reinforce their understanding of the information.  The poster will describe the common challenges expressed by participants, the educational tools and activities identified to overcome them, and the practical format of the WS which will enable participants to replicate the training at their home institutions. This viral outgrowth of the WS would constitute a major success of the initiative.