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Marine Biotechnology and Bioinformatics (MBB) was a professional development program from 2004-2009 that prepared science teachers to use the latest biotechnology1 and bioinformatics2 techniques to investigate a local marine phenomenon, the invasion of non-native mussels along the Central California coast.
Teachers were provided background knowledge in molecular biology and genetics during the academic year via Pre-Institute Sessions in anticipation of the Summer Institute. Then during the 3-week Summer Institute, teachers generated novel DNA data and analyzed it using bioinformatics software as a part of a larger on-going research project at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. They also explored pedagogical strategies and developed standards-based lesson plans for engaging students in marine science, biotechnology, and bioinformatics. The following academic year, teacher participants attended Post-Institute Sessions to reinforce their learning and aid in lesson development and implementation.
As background, this program was a response to the growing need for a robust STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) workforce in the U.S. It was designed to provide California science teachers with innovative experiences in inquiry-based science, molecular biology, genetics, and the role of technology and computer analysis in the study of biology. It provided teachers with direct experience in how science is done using current technology, and how to make the complexity and multi-disciplinary nature of science relevant to their students.
MBB went through significant evaluation and improvement over the years. In years 2004-2006, the summer institute was 3 weeks long. A follow-up session of one week during the subsequent summer had teachers returning and bringing students from their schools. In years 2006-2009, students were instead recruited from two high school science programs (Upward Bound from Hanford in California’s Central Valley, and Recruitment In Science Education from California’s Salinas Valley). The Summer Institutes were followed by up to six Saturday sessions during the subsequent academic year (Post-Institute Sessions). The last session was a showcase of the teachers’ final products (either a presentation or a poster of their developed lesson). In the final cycle (years 2008-2009), we also implemented spring sessions (three Saturdays in May) as preparation for the summer institute (Pre-Institute Sessions).
Pre-Institute Sessions
Because of the wide spectrum of background knowledge in biotechnology exhibited by early teacher participants in the program we decided to implement a three-Saturday series of mandatory workshop sessions with homework during the Spring of the final program cycle. Each 3-hour session was conducted in a hybrid format using teleconferencing technology (Elluminate) to connect participants with their peers who participated live from their homes as far away as Massachusetts and New York. Local participants were given the option of attending the workshop in person held at the Incubator Classroom at San Jose State University. These Pre-Institute Sessions were conducted by Dr. Simona Bartl (genetics and biology) and Dr. Henrik Kibak (biochemistry and bioinformatics). Both contributed to the molecular biology lessons and the construction of homework assignments.
Representative Pre-Institute sessions schedule (Spring 2008 PDF)
Summer Institute
The summer institute was designed to allow teachers the experience of doing scientific research and generating novel data to address a meaningful biological question. Teachers needed to collect bay mussels, isolate DNA, amplify DNA fragments, assess genetic variation (through gel electrophoresis, restriction digestion, and DNA sequencing), analyze results (including the use of bioinformatics software), and draw conclusions. At the same time, and increasing as the workshop proceeded, the teachers began developing lesson plans based on the science they were doing. The biotechnology instruction was coordinated by Dr. Simona Bartl. The bioinformatics instruction was coordinated by Dr. Henrik Kibak. Lesson planning and instructional design strategies were coordinated by Dr. Roberta Barba and Dr. Steven McGriff. Drs. Bartl and Kibak both taught example high school lessons.
Representative Summer Institute schedule (Summer 2007 PDF)
Post-Institute Sessions
The MBB teacher professional development model includes post-summer institute sessions as follow-up to reinforce and support the learning experience. The follow-up sessions were conducted in the academic year following the summer institute, about one per month, October - April. Each 3-hour session was conducted in a hybrid format using teleconferencing technology (Elluminate) to connect some participants from their homes with their peers attending in the Incubator Classroom at San Jose State University. The academic year sessions were designed to develop the collaborative and social networks started in the summer and to help the teachers extend their workshop learning experience by writing a lesson plan that would be delivered in their own classrooms during the academic year. To facilitate developing lesson plans and introducing educational technologies for STEM and marine science, these half-day sessions used problem-based learning and inquiry methods, as well as other instructional strategies. The two MBB instructional designers, Drs. Robertta Barba and Steven McGriff, taught these sessions and closely supported the teacher teams during the development phase of their lesson plans.
Representative Post-Institute Sessions schedule (AY 2007-2008 PDF).
Lesson Plans and Showcase Projects generated by the participant teachers.
Example of Showcase Invitation (PDF) and Program (PDF)
Location
In 2004-2006, the program brought teachers to Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (MLML) on the Central California coast for a three-week workshop (2004, 2005) and a one-week follow-up with their students (2005, 2006). In 2006 and 2007, the three-week summer workshop was held at the nearby California State University Monterey Bay (Seaside, California), and follow-up sessions occurred in-person or virtually in the Incubator Classroom at San Jose State University (San Jose, California). The culminating showcase events were held at MLML. In 2008, the summer program was shortened to two weeks in order to accommodate pre-institute sessions conducted on three Saturdays in May.
Combined, the teachers in all three programs came from the local San Francisco Bay Area and the California Central Coast around CSU Monterey Bay, as well as from as far away as Southern California, Northern California, Georgia, New York, Connecticut, and Chicago to participate. The majority of high school student participants came from under-performing school districts in either the Salinas Valley or the San Joaquin Valley in California. Some students in the first two years of the program came from teacher participant schools.
1 Biotechnology: the use of living organisms or their products to make or modify a substance or process
2 Bioinformatics: the use of computers to store, retrieve and analyze biological data
