Rapid adaptation and remote delivery of undergraduate research training during the COVID 19 Pandemic

  1. Joanna Yang Yowler
  2. Kit Knier
  3. Zachary WareJoncas
  4. Shawna L. Ehlers
  5. Stephen C. Ekker
  6. Fabiola Guasp Reyes
  7. Bruce F. Horazdovsky
  8. Glenda Mueller
  9. Adriana Morales Gomez
  10. Amit Sood
  11. Caroline R. Sussman
  12. Linda M. Scholl
  13. Karen M. Weavers
  14. Chris Pierret

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Abstract

COVID-19 continues to alter daily life around the globe. Education is particularly affected by shifts to distance learning. This change has poignant effects on all aspects of academic life, including the consequence of increased mental stress reported specifically for students. COVID-19 cancellations of many summer fellowships and internships for undergraduates across the country increased students’ uncertainty about their educational opportunities and careers. When the pandemic necessitated elimination of on-campus programming at Mayo Clinic, a new program was developed for remote delivery. Summer Foundations in Research (SFIR) was drafted around 4 aims: 1) support the academic trajectory gap in research science created by COVID-19; 2) build sustainable scientific relationships with mentors, peers, and the community; 3) create opportunities for participants to share and address concerns with their own experiences in the pandemic; and 4) provide support for individual wellbeing. SFIR included research training, but also training in communication through generative Dialogue and resilience through Amit Sood’s SMART program. 170 participants were followed for outcomes in these spaces. Knowledge of and interest in careers involving biomedical research rose significantly following SFIR. Participants’ mean confidence levels in 12 Key areas of research rose between 0.08 to 1.32 points on a 7-point scale. The strongest gains in mean confidence levels were seen in designing a study and collaborating with others. SFIR participants demonstrated gains in perceived happiness, and measured resilience and a reduction in stress. Participants’ qualitative responses indicated exceptionally positive mentor relationships and specific benefit of both the SMART program and Dialogue.

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    SciScore for 10.1101/2021.02.24.432694: (What is this?)

    Please note, not all rigor criteria are appropriate for all manuscripts.

    Table 1: Rigor

    Institutional Review Board Statementnot detected.
    Randomizationnot detected.
    Blindingnot detected.
    Power Analysisnot detected.
    Sex as a biological variablenot detected.

    Table 2: Resources

    No key resources detected.

    Results from OddPub: We did not detect open data. We also did not detect open code. Researchers are encouraged to share open data when possible (see Nature blog).

    Results from LimitationRecognizer: We detected the following sentences addressing limitations in the study:
    Limitations surrounding length of follow-up and while preliminary data over a three-month period has shown positive outcomes, the sustained impact will be addressed in ongoing longitudinal analyses. This will help elucidate whether there is a need for organizational level maintenance efforts following programs like SFIR. Such data will also provide key insights into equity and inclusion in distance learning for undergraduate students. Due to the benefits shown in this digital format, SFIR will see continual implementation at Mayo Clinic. The program is being adapted to act as an onboarding experience prior to undergraduate researchers’ arrival for face-to-face mentorship and as a stand-alone offering to increase the reach of Mayo Clinic’s science programming. An abbreviated version preceding summer or school year research aims to enhance the confidence and preparedness of undergraduates for their first experience at a research-focused institution. Furthermore, the program will provide a peer group for support across laboratories, while simultaneously enhancing opportunities for near-peer mentoring by graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. COVID-19 has challenged learners and educators across the world with its accelerated demand for digital learning. The path of least resistance over the pandemic year has often resulted in cancellation of important educational and professional development programs. While such measures are sometimes unavoidable, a more sustainable approac...

    Results from TrialIdentifier: No clinical trial numbers were referenced.

    Results from Barzooka: We did not find any issues relating to the usage of bar graphs.

    Results from JetFighter: We did not find any issues relating to colormaps.

    Results from rtransparent:
    • Thank you for including a conflict of interest statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
    • No funding statement was detected.
    • No protocol registration statement was detected.

    About SciScore

    SciScore is an automated tool that is designed to assist expert reviewers by finding and presenting formulaic information scattered throughout a paper in a standard, easy to digest format. SciScore checks for the presence and correctness of RRIDs (research resource identifiers), and for rigor criteria such as sex and investigator blinding. For details on the theoretical underpinning of rigor criteria and the tools shown here, including references cited, please follow this link.

  2. Version published to 10.1101/2021.02.24.432694 on bioRxiv