SFEBES2023 Poster Presentations Innovation in Teaching (3 abstracts)
Biomedical Kitchen – safely transitioning students to higher education laboratories through transdisciplinary simulation
Phillip Lawton 1 , Luisa Garcia-Haro 1 , Alison McGregor 2 , Eliel Cohen 3 , Juilianne Viola 4 , Jozef Youssef 5 , Alan Spivey 6 , Roger Kneebone 2 , Niamh Martin 7 & Jakub Radzikowski 6
1Faculty of Medicine Centre, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom. 2Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom. 3The Policy Institute at King’s College London, London, United Kingdom. 4Centre for Higher Education Research and Scholarship (CHERS), South Kensington Campus, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom. 5Kitchen Theory, London, United Kingdom. 6Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom. 7Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
Laboratory skills are a critical part of science education, enabling students to develop practical competencies and to relate theoretical learning to the laboratory bench. However, practical learning is often daunting for students, particularly those making the transition from secondary school to higher education. To support this transition, we have developed ‘The Biomedical Kitchen’, which introduces first year Medical Biosciences students to laboratory practice through transdisciplinary simulation, where students are taken out of their chosen discipline (molecular biology) and engage in activities from another discipline (professional gastronomy). Students (>300 over 2-year cohorts) were asked to design a yoghurt fermentation experiment, handle delicate edible thin gels, and engage with precise cooking techniques to create 10 identical canapes. These techniques aligned with learning outcomes for Lab Pod 1, their first laboratory module. Quantitative data focussing on self-efficacy (n=78) before and after the course, indicated that the students who gained in self-efficacy (n=31) had lower initial-self efficacy than the rest of the cohort. Qualitative data (2 surveys – before and after the course, n=148, 87) revealed that whilst students reported apprehension about practical work and time management; they were excited, curious, and expected to learn and be challenged. In their view, BK created an authentic, low-stakes environment introducing them to practical laboratory work. Their responses indicate learning beyond practical work, and delivered outcomes focussing on teamwork (notably with new colleagues), time management and laboratory book write ups. A final survey (n=75) performed during the Lab Pod 1 module confirmed that The Biomedical Kitchen effectively prepared them for learning in laboratories. The Biomedical Kitchen offers an innovative approach to laboratory skill acquisition. It is an inclusive, and affordable programme that delivers its learning outcomes and is well-received by students, with wide possibilities of adaptation and implementation across undergraduate science education.
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