Building a virtual summer research experience in cancer for high school and early undergraduate students: lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic

Timothy W Corson; Shannon M Hawkins; Elmer Sanders; Jessica Byram; Leigh-Ann Cruz; Jacob Olson; Emily Speidell; Rose Schnabel; Adhitya Balaji; Osas Ogbeide; Julie Dinh; Amy Hinshaw; Laura Cummings; Vicki Bonds; Harikrishna Nakshatri

doi:10.1186/s12909-021-02861-y

Building a virtual summer research experience in cancer for high school and early undergraduate students: lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic

BMC Med Educ. 2021 Aug 9;21(1):422. doi: 10.1186/s12909-021-02861-y.

Authors

Timothy W Corson^#^{1

2

3}, Shannon M Hawkins^#^{1

3

4}, Elmer Sanders^{5

6}, Jessica Byram⁷, Leigh-Ann Cruz⁸, Jacob Olson⁹, Emily Speidell⁹, Rose Schnabel¹⁰, Adhitya Balaji¹⁰, Osas Ogbeide¹⁰, Julie Dinh¹⁰, Amy Hinshaw¹¹, Laura Cummings¹², Vicki Bonds¹³, Harikrishna Nakshatri^{14

15

16

17}

Affiliations

¹ Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
² Department of Ophthalmology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
³ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
⁴ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
⁵ Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
⁶ K-12 STEM Program, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
⁷ Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
⁸ Riverside High School, Indianapolis, IN, 46208, USA.
⁹ Decatur Central High School, Indianapolis, IN, 46221, USA.
¹⁰ Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA.
¹¹ Lawrence Township Schools, Indianapolis, IN, 46226, USA.
¹² Herron High School, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
¹³ Pipeline and Pre-Doctoral Programs, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
¹⁴ Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA. hnakshat@iupui.edu.
¹⁵ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA. hnakshat@iupui.edu.
¹⁶ Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, C218C, 980 West Walnut Street, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA. hnakshat@iupui.edu.
¹⁷ VA Roudebush Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA. hnakshat@iupui.edu.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic posed a unique challenge for summer research programs in 2020, particularly for programs aimed at hands-on experience for younger trainees. The Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center supports two pipeline programs, which traditionally immerse high school juniors, seniors, and early undergraduate students from underrepresented populations in science in hands-on projects in cancer biology labs. However, due to social distancing policies during the pandemic and reduction of research operations, these students were not physically allowed on campus. Thus, the authors set out to strategically pivot to a wholly virtual curriculum and evaluate the Virtual Summer Research Experience in Cancer outcomes.

Methods: The virtual program included four components: 1. a core science and professional development curriculum led by high school teachers and senior undergraduates; 2. faculty-delivered didactic sessions on cancer science; 3. mentored, virtual research projects with research faculty; and 4. online networking events to encourage vertical mentoring. Outcomes data were measured using a locally created 11-item Research Preparation Scale, daily electronic feedback, and weekly structured evaluation and feedback via Zoom.

Results: Outcome data suggested high self-reported satisfaction with the virtual program. Outcome data also revealed the importance of coordination between multiple entities for seamless program implementation. This includes the active recruitment and participation of high school teachers and further investment in information technology capabilities of institutions.

Conclusions: Findings reveal a path to educate and train high school and early undergraduate students in cancer research when hands-on, in-person training is not feasible. Virtual research experiences are not only useful to engage students during public health crises but can provide an avenue for cancer centers to expand their cancer education footprints to remotely located schools and universities with limited resources to provide such experiences to their students.

Keywords: Curriculum development; Mentoring; Pipeline program; Research education; Virtual education.

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Curriculum
Humans
Neoplasms* / epidemiology
Pandemics
SARS-CoV-2
Schools
Students

Grants and funding

P30 CA082709/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States