Non-Laboratory Project-Based Learning for Final Year Bioscience Students: Lessons From COVID-19.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Science Education
• Higher Education Pedagogy

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the adoption of dry-lab projects for all final-year bioscience students at Ulster University.
• This shift provided a unique opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of dry-lab projects in a large student cohort.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate student experiences with dry-lab research projects as an alternative to traditional wet-lab projects.
• To assess the impact of dry-lab projects on skills development, employability, and overall student experience.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods approach was employed, starting with interviews of a pilot group (n=4) of final-year Biomedical Science students.
• A subsequent survey was co-created and administered to the entire final-year cohort (n=140) to gather quantitative and qualitative data on their dry-lab project experiences.

Main Results:

• Students' initial expectations of dry-lab projects were largely met or improved, with many recognizing enhanced employability skills despite perceived limitations in practical lab experience.
• Student experience was influenced by personal circumstances, with lower supervisor communication correlating with poorer project outcomes (p < 0.05).
• A significant majority favored the option of choosing between dry-lab and wet-lab projects for future cohorts.

Conclusions:

• Dry-lab projects are a suitable and equitable alternative to wet-lab projects in bioscience education.
• These projects facilitate the acquisition of new skills and appeal to students and supervisors preferring non-laboratory settings.
• Offering a choice between dry-lab and wet-lab projects allows students to customize their final-year academic journey based on individual needs and career goals.