Microbiology at Home (M@H): an Online, Self-Paced Solution To Enhance Practical Skills in Foundation Microbiology.

The online education market share is rapidly increasing, raising the demand to teach sciences outside the laboratory environment. Here, we present Microbiology at Home (M@H), a new approach that integrates hands-on microbiology experimentation with online interactive simulations using authentic scenarios in microbiology in the home environment. The M@H program includes 8 practical activities aligned to the ASM curriculum for practical skills. M@H kits are mailed to students, and each practical activity is prepacked individually with the required consumables, including microbial culture media to prepare at home using a microwave. These practicals are self-paced, and each activity is facilitated using a two-dimensional simulation package with prerecorded videos, protocols, and interactive activities. The students receive both synchronous and asynchronous support and guidance through online learning management systems fora and virtual gatherings. The M@H program was applied to an Introductory Microbiology cohort at the University of New England in 2020 and 2021. Based on student feedback, the experience not only provided real hands-on practice in microbiology but also acted to cement the engagement with the content by contextualizing it to the surrounding home environment. We anticipate that these activities will provide a way to successfully engage students with hands-on microbiology without the need for actual laboratory attendance, thus increasing accessibility to microbial protocols and applications.