Scaffolding a Low-Cost Experiential Bioreactor Module: Reducing Cognitive Load to Enhance Competency and Self-Efficacy

Low-cost experiential modules are critical for democratizing biotechnology education, yet most undergraduates lack hands-on experience with continuous-culture bioreactor operations, which are fundamental to industrial bioprocessing. This study employed design-based research across two iterative cycles (Fall 2024, n = 8; Fall 2025, n = 11) to develop a cost-effective experiential laboratory module using Pioreactor technology (~$400/unit vs. > $10,000 for traditional systems). Iterative refinement revealed a critical design principle: front-loading hardware calibration before biological experimentation significantly reduces cognitive load, enabling substantial learning gains in complex bioprocess workflows. In this module, students cultured a strain of E. coli that could express green fluorescent protein in 20 mL vessels, progressing from baseline calibration to independent experimental design while acquiring skills and knowledge in batch and continuous culture operations, growth kinetics quantification, and regulation of recombinant protein expression. Employing a "performance, perception, reflection" assessment framework, the study triangulated Direct Observed Competency Assessment, retrospective pre-post-self-efficacy surveys, and qualitative thematic analysis to provide converging lines of evidence. Faculty observation documented improvement in 92% of competencies. Self-efficacy gains were large for advanced system mastery (Cohen's d = 3.50) and bioprocess execution and analytics (d = 2.79). Qualitative analysis with strong inter-rater reliability (83.3% agreement) revealed 82% of students linked the module to career preparation and 45% identified innovation as a key outcome. The resulting adaptable module, with publicly available protocols, offers institutions a low-cost framework for engaging students in dynamic biochemical processes, fostering technical proficiency and conceptual integration while addressing biotechnology workforce development needs.