Category: Blog Posts

Designing for Inclusion and Engagement in Microbiology Learning

As a microbiology student, I’ve seen how learning design can make or break whether concepts “stick.” Module 3 highlights that inclusive design is about anticipating learner variability, supporting belonging, and keeping students motivated. In science-heavy courses like microbiology, these ideas are essential. Students enter with different strengths: some excel in lab skills, others in theoretical understanding. Thoughtful learning design helps bridge these differences so that all learners can succeed.

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

UDL is about designing courses that account for learner diversity from the very start, rather than fixing barriers after they appear. It emphasizes multiple means of representation, action and expression, and engagement ensuring students can access material, demonstrate understanding, and stay motivated in different ways.

Examples from Microbiology Learning

UDL Principle	Example in Microbiology
Multiple means of representation	Using diagrams and videos to illustrate bacterial cell structures alongside written explanations
Multiple means of action and expression	Allowing students to submit lab reflections as written reports, oral presentations, or digital infographics
Multiple means of engagement	Using real-world case studies on antibiotic resistance to spark curiosity and relevance

UDL reminds me that strategies designed for accessibility, like captions on microscopy videos, benefit everyone by reinforcing comprehension.

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Inclusive Learning Design

Dr. Terence Brady’s TED Talk reframed how I think about inclusive education. He explains that Universal Design for Learning should function like architectural design built for access from the start rather than “retrofitted” later. This proactive approach ensures that education meets the needs of all learners, just as accessible buildings serve people of all abilities.

In microbiology, inclusion means anticipating variability and embedding flexibility into every stage of design. For example, scaffolding complex ideas like DNA replication through visuals and vocabulary support can help learners grasp molecular processes more effectively. As learners gain confidence, supports can be reduced to encourage independence.

Strategies educators can use include:

• Integrating culturally and globally relevant case studies (e.g., public health microbiology in different regions)
• Providing visual and linguistic scaffolds for complex concepts
• Gradually reducing supports to promote learner autonomy

Designing for Diverse Learners

There is no such thing as an “average” microbiology student. Each learner brings unique strengths and challenges, and instruction should balance high expectations with multiple pathways to success.

Challenge	Support / Pathway
Strong in chemistry, weak in statistics	Scaffold microbial data analysis with guided tutorials
Strong in memorization, weak in application	Use open-ended case studies connecting pathways to real systems
Interested in theory, less confident in labs	Offer digital simulations and collaborative lab partnerships

By embedding UDL principles into microbiology learning, educators can design with empathy and flexibility so that every student can thrive, whether they’re decoding metabolic pathways or troubleshooting a failed PCR.

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Motivation and Engagement

Motivation shapes how deeply I learn. I’ve found I’m most engaged when learning feels meaningful and connected to real-world microbiology.

• Relevance: Studying microbial communities and their link to climate change made the content feel urgent and purposeful.
• Autonomy: Choosing my own lab report topic gave me ownership of the research process.
• Authentic tasks: Designing a mini-research proposal moved me from surface memorization to deeper application.
• Feedback: Timely and specific feedback clarified my growth and built accountability.

These elements echo constructive alignment, where activities, assessments, and outcomes work together to support both motivation and mastery.

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Synchronous and Asynchronous Learning

Both modes serve valuable but different purposes in microbiology education.

Mode	Strengths	Best Used For
Synchronous	Immediate feedback, peer interaction, real-time problem-solving	Lab sessions, Q&A, and experiment troubleshooting
Asynchronous	Flexibility, time for reflection, ability to review complex material	Recorded lectures on detailed processes like glycolysis

Balance: Record live sessions for those unable to attend, build discussion boards for peer collaboration, and offer alternate paths to achieve learning outcomes regardless of schedule or location.

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Principles of Effective Online Education

An effective online microbiology course should be:

• Aligned: Clear outcomes such as “Compare prokaryotic and eukaryotic gene regulation.”
• Accessible: Transcripts for lectures, alternative formats for dense data, and flexible submission options.
• Transparent: Weekly outlines connecting labs, readings, and assessments directly to learning outcomes.

Frameworks like UDL help maintain this alignment so that learning remains equitable and purposeful.

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Interaction and Presence

Interaction builds engagement in online microbiology environments:

• Student–content: Virtual labs, microbial growth simulations
• Student–student: Group poster projects on microbial ecology
• Student–instructor: Personalized feedback and office hours

These create a sense of community that mirrors collaborative research spaces in real science.

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Conclusion

Module 3 reinforced that inclusive design is as critical in microbiology as it is in any other discipline. Universal Design for Learning ensures barriers are minimized from the start, while inclusive design fosters equity, belonging, and motivation. Balancing synchronous and asynchronous modes supports flexibility, and thoughtful assessment design encourages deep learning. When educators combine theory with empathy and purposeful planning, they create microbiology learning environments where every student, regardless of background or ability has the tools and confidence to succeed.

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References

Brady, T. (2017, February 10). Universal Design for Learning: A paradigm for maximum inclusion [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRZWjCaXtQo

Planning and Designing for Meaningful Learning

Backward Design and Understanding by Design (UbD)

Starting with the end goals in mind is especially valuable in the sciences. In microbiology, most lab courses begin with specific outcomes such as “students will be able to isolate and characterize a bacterial strain”. Knowing this at the start makes it clear why we need to learn each technique along the way—plating, staining, PCR, or microscopy. When my third-year molecular microbiology lab used this backward design approach, I found the learning much more meaningful because I could see how every step contributed to demonstrating the final outcome. Instead of treating each lab as a separate task, I understood the overall purpose and how my skills built toward that final demonstration.

Design Thinking

Design thinking is a model for solving problems centered on empathy, iteration, and prototyping. It focuses on creating solutions that meet actual learner or user needs.

• Prototyping / Problem Solving involves testing practical solutions that still generate meaningful results, even if simplified. Our final setup was less complex but still valid.

• Empathy means understanding others’ perspectives, challenges, and limitations. In my lab, this meant recognizing time and resource constraints when designing experiments.

• Iteration is the process of refining ideas through feedback and testing. For us, piloting an antibiotic resistance experiment and revising it based on our TA’s input improved the design.

Aspect of Design Thinking	Connection to Microbiology Learning	Example from Lab Work
Empathy	Considering the needs of learners and the limits of lab resources	Realized the original antibiotic resistance experiment was too complex for the time and equipment available
Iteration	Revising and refining ideas based on testing and feedback	Piloted the experiment, gathered feedback from the TA, and adjusted the design
Problem Solving / Prototyping	Finding workable solutions that still achieve meaningful results	Simplified the experimental setup while still collecting valid and useful data

Learning Outcomes and Bloom’s/ SOLO Taxonomies

I find Bloom’s taxonomy particularly useful for describing different levels of learning in microbiology. It is a hierarchical framework that classifies learning objectives by their complexity, moving from remembering to creating (Simplylearn, 2021). For example, the lowest level, remember, focuses on recalling facts—such as listing the steps of Gram staining. The next level, understand, might involve summarizing those steps in one’s own words to show comprehension. At the apply level, students could use their knowledge of Gram staining to predict how a new bacterial isolate might appear under the microscope. The analyze stage would require breaking down results to investigate whether Gram staining provides reliable evidence for bacterial classification. At the evaluate level, students might defend or critique the effectiveness of Gram staining compared with molecular methods. Finally, at the create stage, learners could design an improved protocol or project that builds on the traditional technique.

A weak outcome in microbiology might be: “Students will know the steps of Gram staining.” A stronger one, aligned with Bloom’s higher levels, would be: “Students will be able to evaluate the effectiveness of Gram staining in differentiating bacterial species.” This stronger outcome goes beyond memorization to analysis and application. SOLO taxonomy also resonates with lab-based science because it highlights depth. Moving from surface responses to integrated responses.

Better Learning Design: Surface vs. Deep Learning

Looking back, I can see how surface learning and deep learning played out differently in my microbiology studies.

• Surface Learning Example:
  • In my introductory courses, I often memorized metabolic pathways without really understanding how they connected.
  • This approach helped me pass tests, but I quickly forgot much of the material afterward.
  • The design of those courses emphasized recall rather than application, which made it easy to stay at a surface level.
• Deep Learning Example:
  • In my fourth-year labs, I was required to apply those same pathways when interpreting experimental data.
  • For instance, understanding glycolysis wasn’t just about listing enzymes anymore—it became about explaining why a yeast strain failed to grow under certain conditions.
  • These tasks pushed me into problem-solving and analysis, which deepened my understanding and made the knowledge stick.

The contrast shows how course design shapes the type of learning. When activities and assessments only test recall, surface learning tends to dominate. When the design emphasizes application, problem-solving, and explanation, students are guided toward deep learning that lasts beyond the exam.

Inquiry and Project-Based Learning

Inquiry and project-based learning are deeply connected to microbiology research. In upper-level labs, my group once designed an experiment to test how environmental stresses affect microbial growth. There was no single “right” answer. We had to plan methods, troubleshoot, and interpret messy results, much like real research.

Sánchez-García and Reyes-de-Cózar (2025) emphasize that strong PBL includes elements such as a driving question, authenticity, inquiry, and public products. However, their review also shows that reflection and student voice are often underused, which I noticed in my own projects. While our inquiry was authentic, structured opportunities for reflection were limited. Still, the experience reflects how PBL fosters not just scientific skills but also collaboration, problem-solving, and adaptability. Key competencies for addressing real-world challenges.

References

Sánchez-García, R., & Reyes-de-Cózar, S. (2025). Enhancing project-based learning: A framework for optimizing structural design and implementation—A systematic review with a sustainable focus. Sustainability, 17(11), 4978. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17114978

Simplylearn. (2021, August 31). Bloom’s taxonomy introduction [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NXTf0sHBxg