INIQUI   05448
INSTITUTO DE INVESTIGACIONES PARA LA INDUSTRIA QUIMICA
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
Multiplying Efforts in Latin America The ALAM-ASM-UNESCO Workshop on Microbiology Education 2010.
Autor/es:
VERÓNICA B. RAJAL; JUANA ORTELLADO; TODD PETERSON
Lugar:
Maryland
Reunión:
Congreso; 18th Annual Conference for Undergraduate Educators; 2011
Institución organizadora:
American Society for Microbiology
Resumen:
Multiplying Efforts
In Latin America The ALAM-ASM-UNESCO
Workshop On Microbiology Education 2010.
V.B. Rajal,
Universidad Nacional de Salta, Salta, Argentina
J. Ortellado,
Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Paraguay
T. Peterson,
American Society for Microbiology,
USA
The ASM-UNESCO-ALAM WORKSHOP ON
MICROBIOLOGY EDUCATION (WS) was a pre-congress workshop organized with the XX
Latin American Congress on Microbiology (ALAM), held in Montevideo, Uruguay,
September 27-October 1, 2010. It was
hypothesized that microbiology educators in Latin America (LA) were unfamiliar
or underutilizing the new methods and tools in microbiology education that
could overcome a common set of educational barriers. The main objective of the
WS was to provide a select group of microbiology educators from LA with
training in new pedagogical resources and techniques available through the
American Society for Microbiology (ASM).
The WS was conducted by two professors from LA
previously trained through the ASMCUE-UNESCO Train the Trainers
Workshop (Colorado,
May 2009) and one ASM
representative. Twenty-one microbiology educators from eight
different countries in LA participated. The activities were divided in two
parts. The first included pre-WS tasks using the distance learning platform,
Moodle. The participants were asked to introduce themselves and to reflect on
their interests, challenges and experiences in microbiology education. Then,
they were initiated and guided through teaching resources available online
through ASM. It was determined that microbiology educators from across LA
experienced similar experiences and challenges to engaging their students and
imparting a critical scientific foundation. The second part was the on-site WS
on September 27, 2010 in Montevideo.
An overview of
the ASM and educational programs were presented and hands-on training in new
web-based resources and methods was conducted. Challenges and experiences were
analyzed together with the participants and new classroom activities, to be
implemented in their own institutions, were developed and tested.
An anonymous survey (N=19) was conducted upon completion of activities.
Almost all of the participants (84%) graded the WS between good and excellent
and most of them indicated their interest on the use of the new resources.
However, some of them (53%) considered that more time was needed in order to
reinforce the acquired knowledge. The Moodle platform was new most of the
participants and they found it (84%) helpful despite of some technological
problems. All the participants (100%) graded the degree of compliance with
their expectations for the WS, the instructors, and lectures between good and
excellent, and 17 of them (89%) stated that can implement the suggested
learning activities in their own place and proposed a plan. The feedback, with
suggestions and comments, will be considered for improving future editions of
the WS.
According to participant
feedback, the objectives proposed were successfully realized. Also the viral
outgrowth of the WS would constitute a major success of the initiative.
Verónica
Rajal, Phone 54-387-4255347, vbrajal@gmail.com
Juana
Ortellado, Phone 595-21-424971, juaniorte@yahoo.com.mx
Todd Petersen, 001-703-678-6006, tpeterson@asmusa.org