Interdisciplinary design and practice of online teaching and learning models in Genetic engineering course in the context of COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract:

The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the significant social and economic impact of genetic engineering techniques, which are getting closer to our life. Aiming to facilitate the students to conduct online learning at home in the context of COVID-19 pandemic, we have adopted the blended online teaching-learning model, which is students learning basic knowledge independently via Small Private Online Course (SPOC) micro-videos, teachers dissecting practical cases via Tencent Instant Messenger (QQ) classroom, students expanding management skills cooperatively after class via QQ group and teachers answering the perplexed questions in real-time via QQ group. Based on the combined techniques of raising questions, dissecting practical cases and enlarging interdisciplinary knowledge, the basic principles and key methods were presented and the process of gene cloning, available methods and application of DNA techniques were grasped by the students. Additionally, by adopting the practical case of preventing and controlling COVID-19 pandemic, the students’ learning goals were made certain and the interdisciplinary learning interests enhanced. Moreover, under the guidance of the teachers, the interdisciplinary teaching-learning activities, based on the COVID-19 nucleic acid test, that includes designing the process to be adopted on the desired aims, defining the available methods and learning the courses knowledge, and then getting the application skills of different disciplinary knowledge, have strengthened the students’ ability of applying management skills in genetic engineering techniques to solve practical problems. Our practice indicates that the adopted online interdisciplinary model, including self-learning, dissecting case, mutual developing and answering questions in real-time, can make the set objectives achieved with the substantial equivalence to face-to-face version. In addition, via the explored teaching method that is composed of analyzing case for identifying the issue to be solved, followed by designing plan and dissecting the process, then determining methods to be used and matching the disciplines, and then learning knowledge and gaining the skills, finally setting project and realizing the aims, both the students’ problem-solving skills related to the intersection of gene manipulation techniques as well as management techniques and the interdisciplinary thinking and integrative capabilities were cultivated.