Co-design of a Teaching-Learning Sequence to Address COVID­19 as a Socio­scientific Issue in an Infodemic Context.

In the post-truth era, one challenge facing science education is the circulation of fake news that distorts the information available for decision-making on issues that have a scientific basis and are controversial for society. In this work, we aimed at designing a learning environment with the objective of equipping students with skills that allow them to deal with socio-scientific issues (SSI) in an infodemic context. To this end, we proposed an educational innovation through design-based research, which was oriented to the treatment of information disseminated in the media and social networks related to COVID-19. We divided this information into four major constructs: virus and disease dynamics; pandemic and environmental crisis; hygiene and protocols; and vaccines, potential solutions, and pharmaceutical industry. On the basis of the activities of the didactic sequence, which included class discussion, interviews with the immediate environment, audiovisual productions, and a final plenary, we identified criteria that students applied to trust or not trust the circulating information and a series of strategies to corroborate the information. In addition, framing COVID-19 as an SSI allowed the discussion of curricular content in science and on sociocultural dimensions that cross the pandemic. Based on the implementation of the teaching-learning sequence, we conclude that the proposed activities favored reflection on critical thinking and awareness of the responsibilities they have as potential disseminators and/or generators of information.

Understanding new molecular and cell biology findings based on progressive scientific practices and interconnected activities in undergraduate students.

Nowadays Molecular Cell Biology (MCB) must be taught as science is practiced. Even though there are several approaches based on scientific practices, a key aspect is to define the purpose of each of these teaching strategies and, most importantly, their implementation. Our goal was to train students to acquire, understand, and communicate new scientific knowledge in the field. The main feature of our new teaching methodology was progressive training in scientific practices associated with a back-and-forward interplay between activities and assessments. The methodology was implemented over 4 years, in students attending the MCB course of the undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences. In the first two modules, the students were prepared to comprehend MCB concepts and techniques and to experience activities based on scientific practices. In the third module, the students analyzed a primary paper in-depth. They were assessed by midterm exams based on a primary paper, written laboratory reports, and the oral presentation of a scientific paper. Our teaching proposal was evaluated through the students' academic performance and by their opinion on the teaching methodology. Most students were satisfied since they improved their acquisition of concepts, their interpretation and integration of scientific knowledge, and developed skills to communicate scientific knowledge in writing and orally. The novelty of transversal interconnections and progressive training in scientific practices provides students with skills in acquiring and understanding new scientific information, even beyond the MCB course.