Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Biochem Mol Biol Educ. 2024 Jan-Feb;52(1):93-105. doi: 10.1002/bmb.21792. Epub 2023 Oct 9.
For close to 2 years, we have witnessed the impacts of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on research at several different levels. Among the list, limited access to laboratory-based training for undergraduate students prevented this cohort from gaining exposure to the realities of a research laboratory at a critical time in training when they may have found motivation in this area as a career. COVID exposed a weakness in our training pipeline; an extreme dependency on face-to-face training that threatened to create a void in the research talent needed to replenish the scientific community every year. In the classroom, we witnessed a revolution of e-learning based approaches that could be rapidly implemented based on existing footprints. Out of necessity, our laboratory developed and implemented an e-learning model of an undergraduate peer mentor network that provides a knowledge and experience exchange platform between students with different levels of research experience. Implementation of the platform was to aid students with gaining knowledge in multiple aspects of scientific research and hands-on work in a research laboratory. The collaboration between the students of the network was aimed at not only advancing the theoretical and practical research experience, but also at developing feedback implementation and practicing "soft skills" critical for teamwork and leadership. Herein, we present an overview of the model along with survey responses of the students participating in the peer mentor network. We have found that peer delivery of practical benchwork both via scientific presentations and visualized experiments, reduced the time of training and the amount of staff assistance needed when students returned to the bench. Furthermore, this model accelerated student independence in laboratory work and increased research interest overall. In summary, the model of a peer mentor network has the potential to serve as a training platform and as a customized tool, supplementing research laboratory training at the undergraduate level beyond the pandemic.
近两年来，我们已经看到了 SARS-CoV-2 大流行对各个层面研究的影响。其中，由于本科生实验室培训受到限制，使得这一年龄段的学生无法接触到研究实验室的实际情况，而在培训的关键时期，他们可能会在这一领域找到职业动力。COVID-19 暴露了我们培训管道的一个弱点；对面对面培训的极端依赖，这有可能在每年补充科研界所需的研究人才方面造成空白。在课堂上，我们见证了基于电子学习的方法的革命，这些方法可以根据现有基础迅速实施。出于需要，我们的实验室开发并实施了一个本科生同行导师网络的电子学习模式，为具有不同研究经验水平的学生提供了一个知识和经验交流平台。该平台的实施旨在帮助学生在研究实验室的多个方面获得知识和实践经验。网络中学生之间的合作不仅旨在推进理论和实践研究经验，还旨在开发反馈实施并实践团队合作和领导力的关键“软技能”。在此，我们介绍了该模型的概述，并展示了参与同行导师网络的学生的调查回复。我们发现，通过科学演讲和可视化实验进行实际实验的同行传递，不仅减少了学生返回实验室时的培训时间，也减少了所需的员工帮助。此外，这种模式加速了学生在实验室工作中的独立性，并总体上提高了研究兴趣。总之，同行导师网络模型有可能成为一种培训平台和定制工具，为本科阶段的研究实验室培训提供补充，不仅在大流行期间如此。
