The Mastery Rubric for Bioinformatics: A tool to support design and evaluation of career-spanning education and training

Abstract

As the life sciences have become more data intensive, the pressure to incorporate the requisite training into life-science education and training programs has increased. To facilitate curriculum development, various sets of (bio)informatics competencies have been articulated; however, these have proved difficult to implement in practice. Addressing this issue, we have created a curriculum-design and -evaluation tool to support the development of specific Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) that reflect the scientific method and promote both bioinformatics practice and the achievement of competencies. Twelve KSAs were extracted via formal analysis, and stages along a developmental trajectory, from uninitiated student to independent practitioner, were identified. Demonstration of each KSA by a performer at each stage was initially described (Performance Level Descriptors, PLDs), evaluated, and revised at an international workshop. This work was subsequently extended and further refined to yield the Mastery Rubric for Bioinformatics (MR-Bi). The MR-Bi was validated by demonstrating alignment between the KSAs and competencies, and its consistency with principles of adult learning. The MR-Bi tool provides a formal framework to support curriculum building, training, and self-directed learning. It prioritizes the development of independence and scientific reasoning, and is structured to allow individuals (regardless of career stage, disciplinary background, or skill level) to locate themselves within the framework. The KSAs and their PLDs promote scientific problem formulation and problem solving, lending the MR-Bi durability and flexibility. With its explicit developmental trajectory, the tool can be used by developing or practicing scientists to direct their (and their team’s) acquisition of new, or to deepen existing, bioinformatics KSAs. The MR-Bi is a tool that can contribute to the cultivation of a next generation of bioinformaticians who are able to design reproducible and rigorous research, and to critically analyze results from their own, and others’, work.

Rubric as a learning tool in teaching application of derivatives in basic calculus

“…In addition, research has shown that timely feedback makes learning easier, when it is sent back to the students shortly after the assignment is done, and it is most successful (Stevens & Levi, 2013). Similarly, rubrics also allow students to interpret and predict expected levels of output more effectively when presented to students before and during learning (Tractenberg, Attwood, & Via, 2019). According to Andrade as cited by Donlan (2014), rubric promotes thinking and learning and these are beneficial to the students who receive rubric to direct their valuable learning.…”

Student‐led workshops: Filling skills gaps in computational research for life scientists

“…This interactive process enabled instructors to correct misconceptions and provided students with the opportunity to ask clarifying questions. Providing space for dual engagement takes advantage of learning being a social activity, which can facilitate improved content understanding (McClatchy et al, 2020) and motivation for further learning beyond the workshop (Tractenberg et al, 2019).…”

“…The remaining five classes have critiques such as a lack of hands-on practice, the use of outdated coding languages and tools, and a lack of application to student research needs. The importance of computational skills training specific to agricultural and natural science researchers is a growing concern (Tractenberg et al, 2019), and it is clear that coursework alone cannot address this gap. Recent recommendations have highlighted the role of stand-alone workshops in meeting student, faculty, and professional training needs (Attwood et al, 2019;McGrath et al, 2019;Tractenberg et al, 2019).…”

Finding the silver lining during a global pandemic: opportunities for curriculum innovation in microbiology education

“…Learning bioinformatics skills can be incorporated into microbiology courses, at any level. Educators may use the bioinformatics mastery rubric developed by Tractenberg et al (2019) to promote bioinformatics practice in the classroom and lab settings to achieve the associated competencies in undergraduate education. Educators can also choose to include bioinformatics skills in the learning environment using a software carpentry format (https://software-carpentry.…”