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Education

Bioinformatics Goes to SchoolNew Avenues forTeaching Contemporary BiologyLouisa Wood 1 , Philipp Gebhardt 2 *1 Training Team, EMBL-European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom, 2 European Learning Laboratory for the LifeSciences, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany

Abstract: Since 2010, the Europe-an Molecular Biology Laboratorys(EMBL) Heidelberg laboratory andthe European Bioinformatics Insti-tute (EMBL-EBI) have jointly runbioinformatics training courses de-veloped specifically for secondaryschool science teachers within Eu-rope and EMBL member states.These courses focus on introducingbioinformatics, databases, and da-ta-intensive biology, allowing par-ticipants to explore resources andproviding classroom-ready materi-als to support them in sharing thisnewknowledgewith their students. Inthis article, we chart our progressmade in creating and running threebioinformatics training courses, in-cluding how the course resourcesare received by participants andhow these, and bioinformatics ingeneral, are subsequently used inthe classroom. We assess thestrengths and challenges of ourapproach, and share what we havelearned through our interactions

with European science teachers.

Introduction

In life sciences today, access to biolog-ical data is a standard part of research dueto the development of high-throughputtechniques generating vast amounts of data. This has revolutionised biology andmeant a step change for how biologicalresearch is performed and data recordedand shared. Recent years have witnessed arapid growth of databases holding data onall aspects of biology and the developmentof a range of tools and services to allowusers to make sense of the data [1]. So far,these resources have largely remained thespecialist domain of researchers. Training in using bioinformatics resources is provided for researchers, and coverage of bioinformatics is increasing at the under-graduate level [24]. However, we believethat access to biological data also offersopportunities in secondary science educa-tion by introducing students and theirteachers to bioinformatics, authentic sci-

entific inquiry, and original data [5]. Although generally aware of bioinfor-matics and the large quantities of biolog-ical data that are generated by newresearch technologies, teachers are stilluncertain about how to connect thesedevelopments with the science they teachin the classroom. Bioinformatics and large-scale biological data are also largely absentfrom biology curricula.

Exciting hands-on encounters withstate-of-the-art molecular biology tech-niques and interactions with active re-search scientists help bridge the gapbetween research and schools. Being inthe unique position to connect scientificexpertise and research findings directlywith educational outreach activities,EMBLs European Learning Laboratoryfor the Life Sciences (ELLS) offers multi-faceted training opportunities, including the LearningLAB training courses forteachers, webinars, the EMBL InsightLectures series, the EMBLog teacherportal, and a repository for teaching resources. All of these aim to provide

secondary school science teachers with thepractical expertise and theoretical knowl-edge of how to bring concepts of molec-ular biology into the classroom.

ELLSs rationale for targeting teachersis based on their role as multipliers tostudents over several year groups and alsowithin professional teaching networks.Directly engaging with teachers shortensthe time it takes to bring new scientificfindings to the classroom. Teachers canfind it challenging to keep up with thepace of contemporary science develop-ments, often lack direct links to centresperforming basic research, and can feel

isolated in their professional practice [6].Providing a direct connection to currentresearch and the researchers behind it is acore feature of our courses [7]. Theteachers act as knowledge transformers,taking information from the expert source,the horses mouth, and delivering it totheir students as living science. In this way,the teachers can catalyse an increasedinterest in science among young peopleand thereby help inspire the next gener-ation of scientists.

In order to raise teachers awareness of bioinformatics and new ways to visualiseand explore biological concepts, ELLSand EMBL-EBI have jointly run a series of teacher training workshops since 2010(please see Text S1 for backgroundinformation about EMBL, ELLS, andEMBL-EBI). The target audience for ourcourses is predominantly European sec-ondary school science teachers. The Eu-ropean focus of EMBL creates a fruitfulenvironment for the exchange of experi-ences between teachers from differentcountries. In order to be able to meaning-

fully connect bioinformatics with theirpractical teaching, we target teachers of older secondary school students, ideally 16 years and above, as it is at this stage whenessential concepts such as the DNA code,replication, proteins, and other biologicalmolecules are covered in detail as part of the curriculum. We also accept applica-tions from individuals who are not teach-ers but who are involved in providing educational outreach to teachers andschool groups as another way of dissem-inating the course knowledge more widely.For more details on how we select thecourse participants, please see the section

Citation: Wood L, Gebhardt P (2013) Bioinformatics Goes to SchoolNew Avenues for TeachingContemporary Biology. PLoS Comput Biol 9(6): e1003089. doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1003089

Editor: Fran Lewitter, Whitehead Institute, United States of America

Published June 13, 2013

Copyright: 2013 Wood, Gebhardt. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of theCreative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in anymedium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Funding: The authors received no specific funding for this article.

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

* E-mail: [email protected]

PLOS Computational Biology | www.ploscompbiol.org 1 June 2013 | Volume 9 | Issue 6 | e1003089


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How we design and run bioinformaticscourses for teachers in Text S1.

An essential step during the process of bringing bioinformatics concepts to schoolis to equip teachers and students with thecompetencies to be able to utilise the dataand resources in a way that reflects currentresearch practices and communicates an

accurate picture of how science is per-formed [8,9]. Bioinformatics is especiallywell-suited to fulfill the requirements of aneducational instrument; it is applicable tomany aspects of biology curricula, and itsupplies a platform for doing research inthe classroom, empowering students toaccess and use real scientific data withoutthe need of a fully equipped wet lab [10].Exploring web-based bioinformatics re-sources also builds upon and extends thedigital literacy of teachers and theirstudents, and decreases the fear of contactwith real scientific resources such asdatabases and analysis tools. The bioinfor-matics LearningLABs introduce teachersto the core concepts of computationalbiology and combine the expertise ineducational outreach from ELLS and inbioinformatics from the EMBL-EBI. Fur-thermore, the LearningLABs provide theopportunity to hear about the latestdevelopments in research, learn aboutusing biological data, encounter life at aresearch institute, and share experienceswith other teachers from around Europe. A central aspect of the courses is to showteachers the (often unexpected) linksbetween curricular topics and cutting-edge

research. It is these connections that havethe potential to bring science to life andenthuse teachers so they can inspire theirstudents to develop an interest andappreciation for science as something relevant to everyday life. Participation insuch courses should be seen as an integralpart of teachers continuous professionaldevelopment to refresh their contentknowledge and further develop their skillsin newly emerging and fast-growing areasof science [11].

The development cycle for a bioinfor-matics LearningLAB builds upon a bioin-formatics foundation that aims to commu-nicate the essentials of biological data andresources. This core component is thensupplemented by identifying contempo-rary research topics and by selecting potential activities involving bioinfor-matics resources that offer appropriatescope for exploration and use by anonexpert audience (see Text S1 sectionsHow we design and run bioinformaticscourses for teachers and An overview of typical types of activities included in abioinformatics LearningLAB for descrip-

tions of course composition and compo-nents). In addition to EMBL and EMBL-EBI developed activities, we invite exter-nal collaborators to contribute their activ-ities where these are aligned with thecourse focus. Past courses have includedrepresentatives from the National Centrefor Biotechnology Education (NCBE) at

the University of Reading and the Well-come Trust Sanger Institute. Alignment of the course content with

topics relevant to the teachers classroomwork is a prerequisite for the success of thecourse and the desired long-term imple-mentation of new concepts into theirteaching, as found by other efforts toincorporate computational biology intohigh school biology lessons [12,13]. How-ever, as there is no universal Europeanschool biology curriculum, this can bechallenging to achieve. Our solution is toidentify key principles that are sharedbetween most school curricula and repre-sent overarching themes valid for modernbiology lessons.

Methods

The first bioinformatics LearningLABwas run in 2010 and followed by twofurther courses in 2011 and 2012. Webased the original course on the successfulELLS LearningLAB model of short,intensive, practical courses, blending hands-on sessions with research updatesfrom EMBL scientists, providing network-ing opportunities and visits to world-classresearch facilities. Although sharing somecontent and following similar formats,each course was individually designed.The curricular connection points focusedon overarching themes such as the molec-ular basis of genetic/infectious diseases,evolutionary relationships, biological se-quences, genome organisation, and struc-turefunction relationships.

From the first course, we have graduallyrefined our approach to ensure we con-tinue to meet the requirements andexpectations of the course participants.Steady improvement of the teaching content is achieved by formative andsummative evaluation of the course. Weuse observation of how activities arereceived, direct communication with par-ticipants during the course, collection of informal teacher-led written feedback (alsoduring the course), and post-course onlinequestionnaires. Suggestions for extensionsand adaptations from the teachers areworked into the future versions of theactivities. An overview of the courseprogramme and teaching resources pre-sented during the 2012 ELLS Learnin-

gLAB Biology 2.0 making sense of biological data can be found online in thecourse handbook (PDF available for down-load at www.embl.org/ells/llab261112).Figure 1 shows a selection of imagesillustrating different elements of the course.Further details on our course design,operational processes, and an overview of

the components of the 2010, 2011, and2012 course programmes can be found inText S1.

When combined, the number of Euro-pean teachers who have attended the threebioinformatics LearningLABs totals 71,representing 16 countries (Figure 2). Togauge the effectiveness of the Learnin-gLAB training and use of the materials, wesurveyed participants of the 2010 and2011 courses. We received 27 responsesfrom a total of 54 participants. The surveywas issued before the 2012 course andtherefore the participants of this course arenot represented. The rationale for includ-ing the cohort of the first two courses wasthat these teachers would have hadsufficient opportunities to incorporate thetraining materials in their teaching.

Results/Discussion

The survey showed that the majority of teachers (62%) rated their overall Lear-ningLAB experience as excellent even 12 30 months after the course. Our evalua-tion revealed that the major impacts onthe participants teaching are in line withour training goals (Table 1 and FigureS1showing responses to the questionWhat impact did the course have on yourteaching?). Seventy-three percent of re-spondents said that the LearningLABincreased their understanding of bioinfor-matics in general and their knowledge of how to access biological data. The samenumber of participants selected that thecourse gave them new activities to try inclass. Participants also found it valuablethat the course gave them new ideas foractivities to use with their students (58%)and increased their awareness of how theycould use computer-based resources intheir teaching (54%). The survey con-

firmed our aim of increasing the confi-dence of teachers when talking to theirstudents about new technologies (50%).

When asked about which parts of thecourse the participants found most useful,hands-on activities were rated most highly(76%). This was followed by opportunitiesto extend teachers subject knowledge(62%). Other aspects that were ranked as very useful were gaining an introduction tobioinformatics (54%) and learning to usebiological data resources (52%). Discussion



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with teacher colleagues seemed to be anasset (48%), but this was rated below partsof the course related to content and

enhancing skills.We next asked if the participants had

used the presented activities in theirlessons, how the new content was receivedby their students, whether this was in amodified format, and the reasons behindwhy the activities required modification.Over 80% of the course participants hadused a LearningLAB resource with theirstudents either once or twice (54%) orfrequently (31%). From participants whohad used the LearningLAB materials, allrespondents reported that the session hadbeen positively received by their students,

commenting that the bioinformatics activ-ities allowed their students to experiencescience in a new way and to connect with

current research through the link withavailable biological data. The majority of participants in our courses also claimed toshare the LearningLAB materials withtheir immediate work colleagues at school(62%) and with local (39%) and national(23%) teacher networks.

More participants reported needing tomodify the activities slightly before deliv-ery (71%) compared with delivering theactivities unchanged (48%). These re-sponse options were not mutually exclu-sive, so teachers may have used someactivities unchanged while wanting to

modify others and hence selected bothoptions. Nevertheless, they represent atrend in how the teachers have handled

LearningLAB materials. When questionedon the reasons for modifying activities, thepredominant reason was that the teachersneeded to adjust the biological context orstory, for example changing the moleculeto investigate (61%). In our opinion, thisreflects the diverse topics on curricula indifferent European countries and mostprobably the specific preferences andprevious experience of individual teachers.In addition, the teachers considered sim-plifying (56%) and shortening (39%) theteaching activities as important, whereasthey seldom ( , 6%) deviate from the

Figure 1. Images from the 2012 LearningLAB on bioinformatics. Top row of images from left to right: course participants taking part in thebioinformatics treasure hunt activity; the client role annotates gene information as part of the DAS game; computer-based activity using theGeneious software; learning about phylogenetic trees using LEGO models. Bottom row: visiting the data centre; participants hear a research update;part of a participants phylogenetic tree diagram built using LEGO minifigures.doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1003089.g001

Figure 2. Breakdown of total LearningLAB participants into countries of residence. The diagram shows the countries of residence of allattendees of the 20102012 bioinformatics LearningLABs (71 total participants, 16 countries). Labels starred with an asterisk include instances wherea participant attended multiple LearningLABs. As each course was different, participants who attended multiple LearningLABs were counted for eachcourse they attended.doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1003089.g002



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databases and analysis tools we introduceas part of the LearningLABs training.

More generally, when we asked theteachers about the obstacles they encoun-tered in delivering bioinformatics activitiesin the classroom, they rated the timeinvestment needed to adapt the activitiesfor use in their teaching most highly(71%). Secondly, they reported that accessto computers (59%) is an issue, and 29%said that the need to translate the materials

into their teaching language is an obstaclethey have to overcome.

Due to the requirement of working withonline interfaces and new software pro-grammes, implementing bioinformatics-based activities in the classroom can behindered by technological barriers [14].For teachers and students to work withonline resources, they require a robustinternet connection that very often cannotbe guaranteed. Similar problems areencountered through schools internal

regulations on IT administration. Alter-ation of firewall permissions, choice of webbrowsers, and installation of specificbrowser plugins and dedicated analysissoftware are some of the most commonissues facing teachers who want to incor-porate bioinformatics resources into theirbiology lessons. Frequently, teachers relyon a dedicated colleague to help themsolve these issues. It is however reassuring that teachers involved in our coursesreported that sometimes (54%) or even

Table 1. Summary of LearningLAB training goals and expected impact on teachers and students.

Training goals Outcomes for teachers Outcomes for students

1. Extend subject knowledge on biological dataand bioinformatics

1. Being able to discuss new techniques andmethods with students

1. Greater appreciation and understanding of contemporary research methods

2. Learn how to access and use original biologicaldata

2. Knowing how to convey this knowledge 2. Access to real-life biological data

3. Contact with researchers 3. Information received from a trusted andauthentic source

3. Earlier exposure to contemporary research methodsand findings

4. Sharing experiences and creating connectionswith peers from around Europe

4. Widening networks and becoming part of theELLS teacher network

4. Students benefit from collaborative outcomes

5. Training in a variety of resources and activitiesto incorporate into lessons

5. Teachers are equipped to adapt and furtherdevelop bioinformatics teaching resources

5. New encounters with biology

6. Teachers equipped to disseminate coursematerials

6. Teachers become the resident expert 6. Wider dissemination to students

7. First hand experience of a research environment 7. Stimulates enthusiasm for new research 7. Experience shared with students to shape theirperceptions of research

doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1003089.t001

Figure 3. Screenshots of the course website illustrating the main features.doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1003089.g003



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always (23%) they receive assistance inarranging computer-based sessions.

Evolving the BioinformaticsLearningLAB Model

Although the bioinformatics Learnin-gLABs have been very positively evaluatedby the participants, we have continued toevolve the model by building on ourevaluation results to further meet therequirements of the teaching audience.We identified three main opportunities to

expand our interaction with the courseparticipants: provision of post-course sup-port, a dedicated course website, andpromoting direct access to the resourceexperts and scientists.

We are aware that teacher training courses are very often one-off encounters.The time spent on the actual course is verylimited and the course can cover manyconcepts. Even if the enthusiasm fordirectly applying the newly gained knowl-edge is immense after the course, it isimportant to help the teachers implement

the bioinformatics activities in the class-room. Due to the nature of our interna-tional courses and the very dispersedaudience, from 2011 onward we haveorganised follow-up online events to bring course participants back together. Thecourse participants are invited to attenda virtual meeting held approximately six

months after the course, which is run using a web conferencing platform. These onlineevents provide a forum for the participantsto exchange experiences of using thematerials in the classroom, to share ideasand teaching resources developed subse-quent to the course, and to give feedback to us as the course organisers. It is also ameans of keeping the momentum in thedelicate and vulnerable transition from thecourse to the classroom.

In 2012, we expanded our provision of course materials to include a dedicated coursewebsite, which holds all course content andsupplementary resources (Figure 3). Thisprovides a much more flexible mechanismfor sharing information, responding to re-quests, and creating a course community. Inproviding a central repository for courseinformation, it also assists with maintaining the activities, allowing us to update them asrequired.

More recently we implemented an activitydevelopment session as part of the courseprogramme. The objective of this session wasto provide the participants with the opportu-nity to think about how to adapt and amendthe course activities to their specific teaching context. EMBL-EBI resource experts provid-

ed an informal consultancy service to supportthe participants in applying their newunderstanding of bioinformatics to theirteaching topics.

As these latter two elements have onlybeen recently incorporated, it is difficult toevaluate their effectiveness; but based uponinformal participant feedback, we regardthem as offering value to the course pro-gramme.

Conclusions

The general ELLS LearningLAB modeloffers further opportunities to the partic-ipants that extend beyond the actual face-to-face training. Connections developedbetween course participants are seen bythe teachers as a valuable resource in itself.This helps to create strong local, national,or even international relationships, foster-ing the exchange of adapted or newlydeveloped teaching resources. The main-tenance of our relationship with theteachers provides a route for them tofurther question the researchers and do-main knowledge experts after the course.

Considerations for Replicating a Bioinformatics LearningLAB

In the process of designing and delivering the training courses, responding tofeedback, and gradually evolving the model, some key considerations haveemerged as being pertinent to achieving a successful learning experience.

1. Course timing and length.

Arrange the course for a convenient time in the academic year, avoidingexamination periods and extended holidays. We have found that an intensivetwo-day course works well, ideally scheduled to allow attendees to travel over aweekend.

2. Ensure an overarching relevance to the teaching curriculum.

Due to the variety of curricula followed by our European participants, we aimedto address core and central themes rather than specific topics.

3. Build upon and develop the existing knowledge areas of the trainingparticipants.

We found that in order to support the teachers in connecting new bioinformaticsknowledge with their teaching, it was important to demonstrate links totraditional curricular themes while raising awareness of new approaches to teachthem.

4. Work within the practical limitations of the classroom.

In order to ensure that it is fit for purpose, course content should be designedwith awareness of the constraints teachers face in the classroom. These includeaccessing computers, having limited software choices, and the rapid evolution of online resources. Some of these constraints can be overcome by considering non-computer-based options such as paper-based alternatives for some activities.

5. Leverage others pedagogical expertise.

We would recommend involving teachers and other educational experts duringthe development of teaching activities and in early stages of the course planning.This provides a suitability checkpoint and potentially decreases the subsequenttime investment required by teachers before they can incorporate training

outputs in their teaching.6. Provide post-course support.

Depending on the amount of information covered during the limited course time,teachers might benefit from further support during the first steps of implementation of the course materials and knowledge.

7. Evaluate and be open to change.

Formal evaluation provides both the opportunity for participants to reflect ontheir course experience and essential guidance on how to further develop thecourse to meet participants needs.



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By applying the LearningLAB model tothe field of bioinformatics, we have tested thefeasibility of incorporating advanced scientificresearch methods and biological data at thelevel of secondary school science education.The benefits resulting from this approachinclude extending teachers content knowl-edge with regards to new developments in

biology and the use of biological data,connecting the teachers with a researchinstitute, and enabling them to provide anaccurate picture of how modern research isperformed. Coupling this experience withtailored bioinformatics training supportsthem in their role as a conduit, whereby theyare able to communicate contemporaryscientific knowledge and skills to theirstudents and peer communities. We aim tosupport the development of ambassadors forbioinformatics. These individuals are wellplaced to support their fellow teachers inimplementing aspects of bioinformatics intheir own teaching and also to promote the

need for the inclusion of bioinformaticsresources in the school curriculum.

Overall, we find that our participantshave responded positively to the knowl-edge and skills offered to them as part of the LearningLAB bioinformatics coursesand that, placed in their hands, they havebeen able to take the next steps to utilise

and amend the activities as required bytheir different teaching approaches, envi-ronments, and audiences.

Supporting Information

Text S1 The supporting informationcontains background information onEMBL, ELLS, and the EMBL-EBI; adescription of how we design and run thebioinformatics courses for teachers; anoverview of the typical types of activitiesincluded in a bioinformatics Learnin-gLAB; and supplementary references.(DOC)

Figure S1 Responses to the post-course survey question What im-pact did the course have on yourteaching? The radar chart illustratesthe main course outcomes as rated by theLearningLAB participants (2010 and2011).(TIF)

Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge the coursecontributors to the bioinformatics Learnin-gLABs: the staff of EMBL-EBI and EMBLHeidelberg, the National Centre for Biotech-nology Education, and the public engagementteam of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute.We thank our course participants for providing feedback and data. In addition, we would like toacknowledge the help of Cath Brooksbank andSilke Schumacher in reading the manuscriptand offering comments and Mark Adams inhelping with the preparation of Figure 1.

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