Teaching Australia's future life scientists

A change is needed in the way science is taught, argues Kathy Takayama.

Academics face the challenge of training the next generation of scientists to excel in a future where life science research continues to evolve in scope and complexity. Our approach to education must negotiate the accelerated accumulation of information resulting from high-throughput technologies and concurrent advances in computational analysis. The student of the 21st century needs not only to understand the fundamental principles of gene expression, but also to contextualise molecular function, cellular component, and biological process within a larger framework.

Furthermore, students must be versed in mathematics and quantitative thinking to function effectively in this new realm. The next generation of life scientists will routinely utilise quantitative methodologies to develop and analyse new models to understand processes at the cellular, organismal, and community levels.

The impact of nanotechnology on the life sciences will also underline the need for cross-disciplinary curricula. Currently, few universities in the world offer degrees in nanotechnology; but that will change as degree programs and courses are developed in response to research trends and needs.

We readily embrace and evolve with the dynamic frontiers of research in the laboratory, and we're quick to proffer new courses and vanguard programs -- but the way in which we are teaching 21st century life sciences has not kept pace with the changing face of research.

Evolving education

Our pedagogical approaches need not remain static -- they can reflect advances in technology and research practice. University science curricula have moved toward more inquiry-based approaches that endeavour to foster the critical thought processes intrinsic to research. To truly engage students in authentic inquiry in our teaching, we need to dissolve the perceived separation of 'teaching' and 'research' domains.

As scientists, we are instinctively attuned to keeping abreast of developments in our fields. We engage in research because we have a desire to continue to learn and discover. As scholars, we disseminate and critically review our work and its implications. Similarly, universities must continue to critically review their work in teaching, their students' educational outcomes, and their roles and influence beyond the physical campus.

The teaching environment continues to evolve as the impact of the internet and information technology has dissolved the borders of the physical classroom. Technology provides us with broader global contexts, extending educational communities and providing new opportunities for collaboration.

The contextual frameworks relevant to new generations of students, as they simultaneously navigate among various media, makes us keenly aware of learning approaches that are not always accommodated by 'traditional' teaching practice. We can view these as opportunities rather than challenges, to enhance and extend the possibilities for our students.

The multiple modes of delivery afforded by web platforms allow educators to integrate visualisations, animations and simulations. The principles and conceptual relationships of interdisciplinary collaborative efforts, for example, between microbiologist, epidemiologist, and quantitative biologist can be taught in such capacities through careful structuring.

Global network

Life science research continues to function in the form of globally networked research communities, sharing powerful collective databases -- and so should educational institutions take a similar approach, creating international research courses in systems biology composed of 'teams' in several countries. Wet lab experiments (for example, microarray hybridisations) could be conducted at institutions where feasible; data analysis could then be performed by other teams and disseminated, interpreted and discussed globally.

The pedagogical power of such a learning community has indeed been demonstrated by a trial research project initiated at the University of New South Wales amongst an international multidisciplinary group of 40 participants from 24 universities based across 11 different countries, who investigated and modelled HIV-1 genomic sequence data. Students majoring in biotechnology, microbiology, biochemistry, bioinformatics, chemical engineering, medicine, pharmaceutical sciences, molecular biology, genetics, mathematics, and computer science worked collaboratively to assess and interpret available information, and devised their own research questions and strategic approach. The experience contrasted significantly from the traditional university laboratory practical, as emphasis was on the process of inquiry reflective of authentic research practice.

More recently scientists, mathematicians, psychologists, educational researchers, science communicators, and artists are forming intriguing partnerships to address the effectiveness of scientific visualisations in communicating information. The high-throughput technologies and nanoscale experiments of the future continue to depend upon the development of sophisticated visualisations to enable researchers to observe and analyse what cannot be otherwise seen. Visualisations that are created for research do not necessarily prioritise human perception and understanding in their design -- what matters most to researchers is accuracy.

But a cross-disciplinary dialogue, to probe and stretch the current boundaries of the capacity of visual representations can indeed yield groundbreaking approaches that advance data interpretation. A wonderful example is the creation of an entirely new 'language' for the visualisation of complex data through collaboration between artist and scientist. To distil the inordinate amount of data obtained from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of mouse spinal cords, concepts from oil painting were applied to represent multivalued data with multiple layers of varying 'brush strokes'. The metavisually cognisant integration of these borrowed expressive art techniques facilitated the simultaneous representation and comprehension of formidable volumes of data.

The MIT Image and Meaning Conference this year foreshadows new directions and cross-disciplinary networks for life scientists to contribute toward the effective communication of their multidisciplinary work.

Nurturing future generations of scientists

How can a future system support Australian life science educators in their commitment to training and mentoring quality graduates?

The aforementioned culture of separation of 'research' and 'teaching' needs to be redressed. Universities must be aware of the dangers of current reward systems that reinforce research productivity at the expense of teaching quality. A significant impetus for change would be the creation of competitive funding programs to support tractable, outcomes-assessed educational initiatives for the sciences. Such programs would not only encourage teaching excellence, but also create opportunities for interdisciplinary and international collaborations. New partnerships, in consultation with government and industry, can facilitate the development of comprehensive cross-disciplinary curricula. Industry, in turn, can communicate projected needs in workforce expertise through consultation with universities.

The education of the public is essential not only to sustain support and funding for the life sciences in Australia, but also to encourage and nurture the future generation of scientists.

Outreach programs and research internship opportunities for biology school teachers provide empowering opportunities for communication and dissemination. The importance of this impact on students at the earliest stages of their education cannot be stressed enough. Any parent will marvel at the natural and uninhibited inquisitiveness of the young child, but by the time students enter university, they have been trained to become assessment-driven and the sheer joy of inquiry has often dissipated.

Nevertheless, the future of Australian life science education looks promising. Our spirit of innovation and collaboration can fuel new opportunities as we prepare the next generation of scientists. Our research culture has strengths in partnerships amongst universities, research institutes, and industry, and we can integrate our educational goals through these same alliances, extending links to the broader community. As we launch our tech-savvy future scientists into the global arena the most crucial lesson, however, that shall remain constant is the spirit of inquiry, observation and serendipity that has fuelled our own passion for life science research.

Kathy Takayama is a senior lecturer in the School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, The University of New South Wales.