From clinical simulation software to interactive lab technology and at-home experiments, faculty in the University of Florida’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) Department of Microbiology and Cell Science are reimagining how students engage with microbiology training.
Three recent faculty projects supported by CALS Instructional Improvement and Distance Education Mini Grants explore different approaches to strengthening hands-on learning for students in classrooms, teaching laboratories and online programs.
Together, the efforts highlight a growing shift in science education toward training environments that better reflect the tools, workflows and problem-solving students will encounter in professional laboratories.
Training clinical thinkers before they reach the bench
Faculty members Monika Oli and Leandro Teixeira are integrating MediaLab simulation software into microbiology teaching laboratories, allowing students to work through realistic clinical diagnostic scenarios before entering professional lab settings.
The platform recreates the workflow of a clinical microbiology lab, giving students the opportunity to interpret results, make diagnostic decisions and troubleshoot unexpected outcomes. Students can repeat scenarios as many times as needed, building the diagnostic reasoning skills tested in clinical settings and on professional certification exams.
Instead of encountering complex diagnostic decision-making for the first time on the job, students can develop those skills earlier in their training while working through guided scenarios.
Rethinking the teaching lab itself
Oli also received a separate grant to install an interactive SMART Board in the microbiology teaching laboratory, expanding how instructors demonstrate techniques and guide students through experiments.
In traditional teaching labs, visibility during demonstrations can be a challenge. Students often gather around a microscope or lab bench to see a procedure in progress. Interactive displays allow instructors toannotate images, highlight results and walk through experimental steps while the entire class follows along in real time.
The technology also opens the door to more collaborative instruction, allowing students to review data together and troubleshoot experiments as a group.
“Using an interactive SMART Board in the teaching lab allows me to make complex workflows and systems-level thinking visible and shared, helping students connect steps, ask better questions and collaboratively troubleshoot in real time.” — Monika Oli, Master Lecturer at the Department of Microbiology and Cell Science
Bringing hands-on microbiology to distance learners
For students enrolled in the department’s online microbiology programs,providing meaningful laboratory experience has always required creative approaches.
Leandro Teixeira and colleague Jaysankar De received a grant to develop a precision water bath protocol designed specifically for at-home laboratory work. The project adapts techniques commonly used in research laboratories into a format that can be safely and reliably performed in a home workspace.
The goal is to ensure that students learning at a distance can still gain practical experience with experimental procedures while reinforcing the same scientific principles taught in traditional teaching labs.
“Microbiology is fundamentally an applied science, making hands-on lab work absolutely essential, even for distance learners. By providing complete kits with real equipment used in regular advanced microbiology lab but in a size small enough to be shipped directly to our UF Online majors, we are actively bridging the gap between remote learning and authentic bench training. Our students aren’t just reading about advanced protocols; they are physically executing them, even from the comfort of their home.” — Leandro Teixeira, Lecturer and Academic Advisor at the Department of Microbiology and Cell Science
“As online science programs expand, thoughtful modifications show that hands-on laboratory training can still be effectively delivered, allowing students to gain practical lab skills from anywhere.” — Jaysankar De, Academic Advisor and Adjunct Professor at the Department of Microbiology and Cell Science
The three projects demonstrate that with targeted support, rigorous microbiology training can reach students wherever they learn.
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