Pre-laboratory videos enhance student preparation and confidence

BACKGROUND: Laboratory classes are an integral component of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology undergraduate degrees designed to develop proficiency in technical skills, provide theory in context and promote inquiry-oriented learning. There is increasing body of evidence to suggest that pre-laboratory preparation is beneficial to student learning because students who are well prepared for their laboratory classes are reported to derive maximum benefit from their laboratory experience. AIM: Our aim was to introduce short videos on specific laboratory skills to assist with the pre-laboratory preparation of second and third year Biochemistry and Molecular Biology undergraduates. INTERVENTION: Despite the essential nature of laboratory skills optimal learning in classes is impeded by increasing student numbers and lack of engagement of students. In an effort to engage and better prepare students for their laboratory classes we used brief videos on specific laboratory techniques as pre-laboratory exercises prior to introducing new skills in the practical class. The exemplar used in the current study was a video on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). DESIGN AND METHOD: Teaching staff developed short videos on several laboratory techniques (SDS-PAGE, pipetting, Clarke’s oxygen electrode) using domestic quality equipment (webcam/video camera) and commercially available editing software. The videos were short (no more than 8-10 minutes), concise, could be employed across different units and year levels, featured the exact settings and instruments that were used in class and could be downloaded on to any mobile device and therefore available as a flexible learning tool. Students enrolled in second and third year Biochemistry units were required to view the video on SDS-PAGE prior to attending class, and complete a quiz related to the video content, both of which were accessible on Moodle. The quiz was a formative assessment only. At the completion of the laboratory class students were invited to participate in a questionnaire which explored student feedback on a number of aspects that included functionality of the video, skills development, attitude, learning effectiveness and learning styles. The responses and numerical data were collated and analysed. RESULTS: In both 2nd and 3rd year levels greater than 70% of students reported that the videos reinforced the concepts of the technique while more than 60% found that the content helped integrate the theory with the practice. Data showed that > 50% of reported increased confidence in carrying out specific tasks while more than 50% of students felt they were overall more confident to carry out the class activities. Written comments from students support the numerical survey data that viewing videos prior to attending class made them confident and better prepared for the laboratory class. CONCLUSION: Both survey and qualitative data show that the pre-laboratory videos had a positive impact on student preparation for their practical classes

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century