Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of Online Bioinformatics and Neuroinformatics Labs

Abstract

In recent years, online laboratories have become highly integrated into the educational process due to the development of distance learning tools as well as the pandemic. As part of a master's degree program in bioinformatics and neuroinformatics, in the academic years 2020-2021 and 2021-2022, the mandatory module "Laboratory Education (LE)" included 9 labs and a special session took place online. For the evaluation of the LE a survey was carried out among the participants on issues of satisfaction with each lab, the knowledge they acquired, the educational material given to them, with the facilitator per lab as well as their self-reported learning. 73 postgraduate students participated in the survey. According to the results, the overall satisfaction from each laboratory ranged from 3.94 to 4.49/5.00. Furthermore, there is a variety of values in self-reported learning ranging from 23 to 50/50. Finally, although 7 out of 10 students say they are satisfied with the distance structure of LE, 8 out of 10 say they prefer LE to be carried out with a physical presence in the labs.