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. 2020 Nov 24;367(22):fnaa191. doi: 10.1093/femsle/fnaa191

The student-centered classroom: the new gut feeling

Jennifer K Lyles 1,✉, Monika Oli 2
PMCID: PMC7735964  PMID: 33232449

ABSTRACT

A student-centered, interactive course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) was implemented in a microbiology course in order to provide an authentic research experience and to stimulate student interest and improve understanding of fermentation, probiotics, the human microbiome and related topics. Students were immersed in the scientific process as they used fundamental techniques to investigate the probiotic composition of a fermented milk beverage, kefir—an unknown question with no predetermined outcomes. In order to assess the benefits and effect of this learning experience on the students, pre- and post-study surveys were administered using Qualtrics. Post-study, 93% of participants agreed that fermented foods are beneficial to human health (compared to 52% pre-study), and notably, 100% of participants indicated that they plan to apply this material in both their personal and professional lives and would suggest consuming probiotics or fermented products to alleviate gastrointestinal issues. As evidenced by demographic data, this CURE is suitable for implementation at both large and small institutions with diverse student populations. Collectively, these data indicate that this collaborative, discovery-based learning experience is a powerful educational tool, encouraging students to make real-life connections between microbiology, medicine and their own health.

Keywords: microbiology, education, survey, qualtrics, probiotics, kefir

An innovative student-centered, interactive learning experience in our microbiology teaching laboratory was designed to combine basic microbiology skills and personal health related reflections.

INTRODUCTION

Maintaining student interest in a particular subject and encouraging student engagement in the classroom are important tasks with which many instructors struggle. A way to moderate some of these issues and to increase student responsiveness and engagement is by utilizing new immersive, innovative teaching methods in order to stimulate involvement and refresh student interest (Fahnert 2017). One such teaching method involves the implementation of course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) in which students investigate an unknown research question within the context of the course. CUREs create a unique, collaborative, discovery-based learning environment in a laboratory setting and are designed to expose students to the scientific process of research at an early stage in their undergraduate careers (Auchincloss et al. 2014; Ballen et al. 2017). These unique experiences have been shown to increase student interest in science and persistence of students in STEM fields (Graham et al. 2013; Bangera and Brownell 2014; Linn et al. 2015).

When a new approach or method is implemented, it is important to measure the effectiveness of that approach in achieving the designated aims or goals. There are many strategies for measuring teaching effectiveness, such as student ratings, peer review and learning outcomes (tests, projects, etc.; Berk 2004). An efficient tool for measuring changes in student knowledge and opinions in response to participation in a particular activity is the use of pre- and post-assessments (Angelo and Cross 2012). A popular platform for the development and administration of pre- and post-assessments is Qualtrics, an experience management service that specializes in online survey software (Qualtrics 2014). Researchers often use Qualtrics as a survey tool to collect, analyze and organize experience data (Cavanagh et al. 2016; Daniel 2016; Findley-Van Nostrand and Pollenz 2017; Hall, Wood and Splan 2017; Andrews and Aikens 2018; Sayres et al. 2018). Qualtrics software also allows for the intricate analysis of collected survey data, including a quantitative comparison of the relationship between multiple variables (Hai-Jew 2017). For example, medical history and background knowledge of specific topics can be put in the context of certain demographic information. This type of cross-tabulation is a useful tool in the interpretation of the data and often reveals interesting trends and novel findings.

In this study, a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) was designed and implemented in undergraduate microbiology courses at Francis Marion University (Florence, SC) and the University of Florida (Gainesville, FL) in order to stimulate interest and engagement in fermentation and related topics, such as probiotics, the human microbiome, the gut–brain axis and health benefits of consuming fermented products. The purpose of this student-centered, interactive learning experience was to provide the students with an authentic, hands-on research experience focused on the fermentation process by characterizing the microbial composition of a fermented product containing some unknown assortment of probiotics, or microorganisms that are beneficial to human health (Pandey, Naik and Vakil 2015). Briefly, students prepared a fermented milk beverage known as kefir, quantified the concentration of bacteria and yeast in homemade and commercial preparations of kefir, isolated and identified unique species from the kefir, investigated known health benefits associated with those species by performing a thorough search of the literature and communicated their findings via oral or poster presentation with the local academic community, including both students and other faculty at their institution. Detailed protocols for this CURE are provided in a corresponding publication (Lyles and Oli,2020). Kefir was chosen for analysis in this CURE, as opposed to other common fermented products, due to simplicity of preparation. For example, preparing yogurt (commonly used in microbiology teaching laboratories) requires multiple steps, including heating and careful management of temperatures throughout the process. Whereas, the preparation of kefir requires minimal steps and no heating. In this CURE, it was important for the students to take part not only in the analysis of the kefir but the preparation of the kefir itself. This helped to convey a sense of ownership in the experimental process and provided the students with hands-on experience with fermentation.

Relating the topics of probiotics and fermented foods to the human microbiome and disease motivates students to master challenging concepts by contextualizing them in clinical, real-world scenarios, while also learning basic microbiological skills. It was hypothesized that this experience would enrich student learning and engagement regarding the topics of fermentation, probiotics and the human microbiome by improving student attitudes, perceptions and behaviors towards these topics on both a personal level and a professional level. To test this hypothesis, pre- and post-study surveys were administered using Qualtrics. The pre-study survey was used to collect data regarding demographic information, medical history, food habits and background knowledge regarding fermentation, probiotics, the human microbiome and related topics. The post-study survey was used to determine changes in student perception and behavior, as well as the personal and professional benefits of the learning experience to the student and likelihood for application of new knowledge as a result of participation in this course-based undergraduate research experience.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Pre- and post-study surveys

Open access pre- and post-study surveys were created and published using Qualtrics software. All questions were multiple choice, text entry, or a combination of both, with no required validation (responses were not forced). Participants were able to save their progress and continue at a later date. However, responses from partially completed surveys were recorded 1 week after the respondent's last activity. Complete pre- and post-study surveys are provided in the supplemental material.

Institutional review board (IRB) approval

This study was approved by the University of Florida's Institutional Review Board (IRB)—protocol #2014-U-429, ‘Exploring Undergraduate Students’ and Teaching Assistants’ Performance, Critical Thinking and Creativity’. This study was approved by Francis Marion University's IRB—protocol #Lyles-01-19-2015-001, ‘Fermentation Revival in the Classroom: Ancient Human Practices as Modern Health Fads’.

Voluntary participation and confidentiality

The surveys were distributed to participants by email including a single reusable link that could be accessed online using any computer, tablet or mobile device. Students were informed that participation in the survey was voluntary, and if they decided not to participate, there would be no negative consequences. If they decided to participate, they could stop participating at any time and could decide not to answer any specific question. All participants provided informed consent prior to completing the surveys (Q4). Once the data was downloaded by the principal investigators, all personal information was deleted in order to de-identify the responses and maintain confidentiality. Additionally, a tag was added to the surveys to prevent search engines from indexing them.

Data analysis

Survey responses were collected and downloaded from Qualtrics as comma-separated values (CSV) files. CSV files were opened and manipulated using Microsoft Excel. Summations of responses and percentages of totals were calculated and converted into graph format using Microsoft Excel. Where n = is used to designate sample size, the number of responses received is indicated (not all participants answered every question). The total number of participants was 267 students.

RESULTS

Demographics of student population

Demographic information regarding the student population (n = 267) that participated in this course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) is presented in Table 1. The student population was predominantly female (80%) and consisted primarily of individuals between the ages of 18–22 years old (87%). A range of ethnicities was indicated in survey responses, with White Non-Hispanic/Caucasian (55%), African American (17%) and Hispanic/Latino (14%) being the most common. 69% of students were enrolled at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, while 31% were enrolled at Francis Marion University in Florence, South Carolina. Notably, 30% of participants identified as first-generation college students, defined as students whose parent(s) or legal guardian(s) have not completed a bachelor's degree (Pascarella et al. 2004). As this CURE was primarily implemented in undergraduate microbiology courses for pre-health students, 96% of the student population reported that their career goals were to enter some aspect of the field of healthcare, with nurse (48%), medical doctor (18%) and research scientist (11%) being the top career choices.

Table 1.

Demographics of student population.

UF1 FMU2 Total
Demographic  Response n = % n = % n = %
Gender Female 145 79 69 83 214 80
Male 39 21 14 17 53 20
Age 18–22 164 89 68 82 232 87
23–35 14 8 12 14 26 10
35–64 6 3 3 4 9 3
Ethnicity African American 10 5 34 41 44 16
American Indian/Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 2 1 1 1 3 1
Asian 27 15 3 4 30 11
Hispanic/Latino 37 20 0 0 37 14
Middle Eastern 5 3 0 0 5 2
White Non-Hispanic/Caucasian 103 56 44 54 147 55
First generation3 No 131 71 54 66 185 69
Yes 53 29 28 34 81 30
Career goal Dentist 6 3 1 1 7 3
Dietician 4 2 0 0 4 1
Medical doctor 40 23 5 6 45 17
Nurse 68 39 51 66 119 45
Other 11 6 4 5 15 6
Physician assistant 8 5 8 10 16 6
Pharmacist 3 2 2 3 5 2
Research scientist 24 14 4 5 28 10
Veterinarian 9 5 2 3 11 4
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1

UF: Students enrolled at the University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.

2

FMU: Students enrolled at Francis Marion University, Florence, SC, USA.

3

First-generation college students are students whose parent(s) or legal guardian(s) have not completed a bachelor's degree.

Relatability and relevance of CURE topics to students

In this course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE), students gained valuable hands-on experience with fundamental microbiological techniques and learned about key principles of diagnostic microbiology and applied microbiology, as it pertains to fermentation, probiotics and the human microbiome. In order to assess the relevance of these topics to the students and gauge relative student interest and relatability, responses to questions regarding medical background and food habits were collected as part of the pre-study survey (Fig. 2). 21% and 43% of students reported that they personally deal with gastrointestinal problems and allergies, respectively (Fig. 2A and B). Additionally, all participants have either experienced or know someone who has experienced at least one of the gastrointestinal disorders listed, with diarrhea and constipation being the most common (Fig. 2D). These are all medical issues that have been shown to be affected by altering the gut microbiota with the introduction of probiotics (Pandey, Naik and Vakil 2015; Hill et al. 2018). Fermented foods and beverages, which naturally contain probiotics, are consumed by 93% of student participants, as indicated by the pre-study survey (Fig. 2C).

Figure 2.

Figure 2.

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Changes in perception and behavior. Several identical questions were asked as part of both the pre- and post-study surveys in order to assess differences in student perceptions and behaviors regarding specific topics as a result of participation in this course-based undergraduate research experience. (A and B) Red (pre-study) and blue (post-study) bars represent the percentage of total students that selected each corresponding answer. Students answered: (A) ‘To what extent do you agree with the following statement: Fermented foods are beneficial to human health?’ and ‘To what extent do you agree with the following statement: Probiotics are beneficial to human health?’ with a response of ‘I do not have an opinion’, ‘Strongly disagree’, ‘Disagree’, ‘Neither agree nor disagree’, ‘Agree’, or ‘Strongly agree’ including an option to offer a written explanation. Responses of ‘Disagree’ and ‘Strongly disagree’ were combined and presented as a single data point titled ‘Disagree’. Responses of ‘I do not have an opinion’ and ‘Neither agree nor disagree’ were combined and presented as a single data point titled ‘No Opinion’. Responses of ‘Agree’ and ‘Strongly agree’ were combined and presented as a single data point titled ‘Agree’. Responses received: pre-study (n = 212), post-study (n = 43); (B) ‘Do you consume fermented foods (like yogurt, sauerkraut, etc.)?’ with a response of ‘No’, ‘Sometimes’, or ‘Yes’, including an option to offer a written explanation. Responses received: pre-study (n = 247), post-study (n = 40).

Changes in student perception and behavior

An important aim of this CURE was to enhance student knowledge regarding the topics of fermentation, probiotics and the human microbiome and as a result, change their behaviors and feelings towards fermented products and their associated health benefits. In order to evaluate the accomplishment of these aims, specific questions regarding student perception and food habits were asked (Fig. 2). Students’ feelings towards fermented products and their associated health benefits were measured post-study, and most agreed with the statements ‘Probiotics are beneficial to human health’ (95%) and ‘Fermented foods are beneficial to human health’ (93%). Pre-study, more students disagreed or had no opinion on these statements (32% and 48%, as compared to 5% and 7% post-study; Fig. 2A). No students disagreed with either of these statements post-study. Student behaviors were also measured, and more students reported that they consume fermented foods post-study (83%, as compared to 69% pre-study; Fig. 2B).

Benefit to students and application of knowledge

The ultimate goal of this CURE was to provide students with hands-on research experiences that have real-world applications, which influence both the students’ personal and professional lives in a positive manner. In order to assess the benefit of this experience to the student and likelihood for application of this knowledge in personal and professional matters, responses to questions regarding the effects of this experience on the student, as well the probability of applying this new knowledge were collected as part of the post-study survey (Fig. 3). A total of 88% of students agree that the material that they learned will be useful to their future careers (Fig. 3A). A total of 93% of students reported that they will apply what they have learned in their daily lives and as a result, will personally consume more probiotics for their health benefits (Fig. 3B). Markedly, 100% of students reported that they are also likely to suggest consuming probiotics or fermented foods to a friend or patient with gastrointestinal problems (Fig. 3C).

Figure 3.

Figure 3.

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Broad application of knowledge and benefit of learning experience. As part of a post-study survey administered to participants, questions were asked to assess the potential for application of knowledge gained from this experience in both the students’ personal and professional lives, as well as changes in student attitudes towards the topics covered. (A–C) Data are presented as a percentage of the total post-study survey responses received. Students answered: (A) ‘Do you think the material you learned about fermented food will be useful for your future career?’ with a response of ‘Strongly disagree’, ‘Disagree’, ‘Somewhat disagree’, ‘Neither agree nor disagree’, ‘Somewhat agree’, ‘Agree’, or ‘Strongly agree’ (n = 43). Responses of ‘Strongly disagree’, ‘Disagree’ and ‘Somewhat disagree’ were combined and presented as a single data point titled ‘Disagree’. Responses of ‘Neither agree nor disagree’ are presented as a single data point titled ‘No Opinion’. Responses of ‘Somewhat agree’, ‘Agree’ and ‘Strongly agree’ were combined and presented as a single data point titled ‘Agree’; (B) ‘I will apply what I have learned from this project in my daily life and consume more probiotics for their health benefits’ with a response of ‘Strongly disagree’, ‘Disagree’, ‘Somewhat disagree’, ‘Neither agree nor disagree’, ‘Somewhat agree’, ‘Agree’, or ‘Strongly agree’ (n = 43). Responses of ‘Strongly disagree’, ‘Disagree’ and ‘Somewhat disagree’ were combined and presented as a single data point titled ‘Disagree’. Responses of ‘Neither agree nor disagree’ are presented as a single data point titled ‘No Opinion’. Responses of ‘Somewhat agree’, ‘Agree’ and ‘Strongly agree’ were combined and presented as a single data point titled ‘Agree’; (C) ‘If you or a friend or patient has any of the above diseases would you consider suggesting to consume probiotics/fermented foods?’ with a response of ‘Extremely unlikely’, ‘Moderately unlikely’, ‘Slightly unlikely’, ‘Neither likely nor unlikely’, ‘Slightly likely’, ‘Moderately likely’, or ‘Extremely likely’ (n = 40). The ‘above diseases’ referenced in this question were listed in the post-study survey and included irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease, celiac disease, gallstones, heartburn and reflux, lactose intolerance, diarrhea, constipation and ulcers.

DISCUSSION

A course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) was designed and implemented in undergraduate microbiology courses at two universities in order to stimulate interest and improve understanding of the topics of fermentation, probiotics and the human microbiome, as well as to provide authentic hands-on research experiences for students. As this was a new, innovative teaching method, pre- and post-assessments were administered as online surveys using Qualtrics in order to measure the effectiveness of this approach in improving student behaviors and attitudes towards these topics, as well as benefits conveyed to the student, both personally and professionally, through their participation in this research experience.

Demographic information regarding the student population was collected as part of the pre-study survey (Table 1). Out of the 267 student participants, approximately two-thirds were enrolled at the University of Florida (UF); the remaining students were enrolled at Francis Marion University (FMU). FMU is a public primarily undergraduate institution (PUI) located in Florence, SC with a total enrollment of approximately 4000 students, while UF is a public research university located in Gainesville, FL with a total enrollment of approximately 52 000 students. Demographic information collected from FMU students revealed a greater proportion of first-generation college students (34%) and African American students (41%), as compared to UF. Demographic information collected from UF students revealed a greater proportion of Hispanic/Latino (20%) and Asian (15%) students and students who plan to attend medical (23%) or graduate (14%) school, as compared to FMU. Bangera and Brownell (2014) suggest that providing CUREs to undergraduate students encourages inclusiveness in the scientific community. Our study supports the idea of using CUREs to help broaden the diversity of the research community by exposing students of various backgrounds to research, as evidenced by the range of ethnicities indicated by the students participating in this CURE (Table 1). Importantly, the design of this CURE allows for widened participation, as it requires only minimal resources and common laboratory equipment (Lyles and Oli,2020) and can be implemented at many institutions of varying levels of education and in regions with varying socioeconomic statuses.

In this study, students at both institutions responded to identical surveys and performed similar sets of experiments and data analysis using fundamental microbiological techniques and focusing on key principles of diagnostic microbiology and applied microbiology. The level of student interest and engagement in these and other topics depends in part on how they relate to the subject at hand (Blumenfeld, Kempler and Krajcik 2006). As part of the pre-study survey, responses to questions regarding medical background and food habits were collected in order to assess the relevance of fermented products and their associated health benefits to the students and, consequently, gauge relative student interest and relatability (Fig. 1). The primary experimental goal of this CURE was to prepare and analyze the microbial composition of a fermented milk beverage, kefir. This investigation into fermented products was relevant to most students, as 95% of all student participants stated that they personally consume fermented foods (Fig. 2B). Kefir naturally contains probiotics, which have been shown to have an effect on gastrointestinal disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn's disease, as well as certain allergic reactions (Johansson et al. 2011; Yu and Huang 2013; Didari et al. 2015). This was of interest to most students, as all participants indicated that they have either experienced or know someone who has experienced at least one of the gastrointestinal disorders listed, with diarrhea and constipation being the most common (Fig. 1C). Additionally, 21% and 43% of students stated that they personally deal with gastrointestinal problems and allergies, respectively (Fig. 1A and B). Several respondents indicated that they have asthma (n = 15), are allergic to lactose (n = 12), or are allergic to gluten (n = 6; data not shown). Evidence shows that clinical symptoms of all three of these allergic reactions can be alleviated through the use of probiotics (de Sousa Moraes et al. 2014; Mennini et al. 2017; Oak and Jha 2019). Additionally, because probiotic microorganisms metabolize most of the lactose in milk during fermentation, kefir is 99% lactose-free and is typically safe to consume for most lactose-intolerant individuals (Farnworth 2006). It was also reported by two respondents by text entry that they deal with chronic rheumatoid arthritis (data not shown)—an autoimmune disease for which probiotics have been shown to have an immune-modulating therapeutic effect (Mohammed et al. 2017). Together, these survey responses indicate a high degree of relevance and relatability of the topics of fermentation, probiotics, the human microbiome and associated health benefits to the medical backgrounds and personal habits of the student participants.

Figure 1.

Figure 1.

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Evaluation of the relatability of topics to student participants. As part of a pre-study survey administered to participants, questions were asked to gauge the relevance or relatability of the topics to the students’ medical backgrounds and personal habits. (A–C) Data are presented as a percentage of the total pre-study survey responses received. Students answered: (A) ‘Do you have any bowel/gastrointestinal problems?’ with a response of ‘Yes’, ‘Sometimes’, or ‘No’, including an option to offer a written explanation (n = 240). Responses of ‘Yes’ and ‘Sometimes’ were combined and presented as a single data point titled ‘Yes/Sometimes’; (B) ‘Do you have allergic reactions to…? (Check all that apply)’ with a response of ‘Breads-gluten’, ‘Milk-lactose’, ‘Eggs’, ‘Nuts’, ‘Pollen’, ‘I have asthma’, or ‘Other’ including an option to offer a written explanation (n = 220). Responses indicating allergic reactions to any of the provided options were combined and presented as a single data point titled ‘Allergies’; and (C) ‘Have you experienced any of the following illnesses? (Check all that apply)’ and ‘Do you know anyone who has experienced any of the following illnesses? (Check all that apply)’ with a response of ‘Irritable Bowel Syndrome’, ‘Crohn's disease’, ‘Celiac Disease’, ‘Gallstones’, ‘Heartburn and Reflux’, ‘Lactose Intolerance’, ‘Diarrhea’, ‘Constipation’, or ‘Ulcers’. Data are presented as the total number of participants that selected each response option (n = 1007 total responses, selected by 220 participants).

Improving student knowledge of fermentation, probiotics and the human microbiome and consequently, changing their behaviors and attitudes towards consuming fermented products for their health benefits were important aims of this CURE. In order to evaluate the accomplishment of these aims, questions regarding perceptions and personal habits were asked as part of both the pre- and post-study surveys, and changes in responses were analyzed (Fig. 2). An overwhelming majority of students reported that they agreed with the statements ‘Probiotics are beneficial to human health’ (95%) and ‘Fermented foods are beneficial to human health’ (93%) post-study, whereas a greater proportion of students disagreed or had no opinion on these statements pre-study (32% and 48%, respectively, as compared to 5% and 7% post-study), indicating that students’ attitudes towards consuming fermented products for their associated health benefits changed as a result of participation in this study (Fig. 2A). Importantly, no students disagreed with either of these statements post-study. An increase of 33% of students likewise agreed, post-study, that consuming fermented foods could be important for their own personal health (data not shown). Student behaviors also changed, as an increased proportion of students reported post-study that they personally consume fermented foods (83%, as compared to 69% pre-study; Fig. 2B). Although, it is possible that this result was influenced by the students’ improved ability to recognize certain foods and beverages as fermented products (data not shown). Collectively, these data signify a positive change in attitudes and behaviors towards consuming fermented products for their associated health benefits, after participation in this research experience.

The benefit of the learning experience to the student, both personally and professionally, is an essential variable to consider when evaluating the impact of this CURE. Having a positive experience will affect what they take away from this opportunity and carry with them outside of the classroom, hopefully influencing both their personal and professional lives in a positive manner. Therefore, as part of the post-study survey, responses to questions regarding the likelihood for application of new information in their daily lives, as well as impact of this experience on the students, were collected and analyzed (Fig. 3). The majority of students (93%) reported that they plan to apply new knowledge acquired from this experience in their daily lives and personally consume more probiotics for their health benefits (Fig. 3B).

Applied microbiology and clinical application were common themes amongst many of the topics covered in this research experience. Disruption of the human microbiome, namely the gut microbiota, has been associated with numerous disease states, including Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), asthma, type II diabetes and many more (Shen, Obin and Zhao 2013; Carding et al. 2015; Mennini et al. 2017). Furthermore, the bidirectional communication system between the gut microbiota and the nervous system, known as the gut–brain axis, has been shown to affect mental health, cognition, pain and obesity (Liu, Cao and Zhang 2015). Disturbance of the gut-brain axis has implications in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease (Sampson et al. 2016; Jiang et al. 2017; Quigley 2017). The introduction of probiotics can alter the environment of the gut microbiota and consequently, have an effect on many of the disease states mentioned above (Gareau, Sherman and Walker 2010; Gomes et al. 2014; Sanchez et al. 2017). As the majority of the students participating in this study indicated career goals in healthcare (96%, Table 1), most respondents agreed that the material that they learned during this CURE will be useful to their future careers (88%; Fig. 3A). Outstandingly, all students plan to apply this material in their personal and professional lives, as 100% of students indicated that they are likely to suggest consuming probiotics or fermented foods to a friend or patient with gastrointestinal problems (Fig. 3C).

Survey responses can also be used to identify improvements and modifications that should be made moving forward. For example, in future iterations of this CURE, it may be important to spend more time exploring the function of the gut-brain axis, as students reported the least familiarity with this topic pre-study (data not shown). Targeted questions were also included in the post-study survey to determine the most interesting aspects of this experience from the students’ perspectives, as well as to collect students’ suggestions for improvements. Some of the aspects that were of the most interest to students, as reported via text entry as part of the post-study survey (Q22), included: making the kefir, observing the growth of the bacteria and yeast, learning about an emerging current topic and exploring the benefits of probiotics and how the foods we eat affect our health (data not shown). An interesting idea for future semesters, as suggested by a student in their post-study survey response (Q25), would be to include a trip to a dairy farm where students can collect samples of unpasteurized milk for analysis. Exploring the benefits of prebiotics, substrates that selectively fuel the growth or activity of probiotic microorganisms (Gibson et al. 2017), was reported by a student as a suggestion for future directions (data not shown) and would be an interesting extension of this CURE or idea for the development of a new, related CURE. Additionally, a critical analysis of improvements in student learning should be performed in future iterations of this CURE. At present, data was not collected to assess changes in student knowledge after participation in this learning experience. Rather, the data reflects a self-assessment performed by the students regarding changes in their attitudes, behaviors and perceived self-reported improvements in understanding.

Overall, based on critical analysis of the pre- and post-survey data collected in this study, the course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) described here is an effective tool that can be used to stimulate student interest and improve student attitudes and behaviors regarding fermented products, probiotics, the human microbiome and related topics, while simultaneously providing an authentic, hands-on research experience in a classroom setting. Importantly, as evidenced by this study, this CURE is suitable for implementation at institutions of varying sizes, including large research universities as well as smaller primarily undergraduate institutions.

Supplementary Material

fnaa191_Supplemental_Files
Click here for additional data file. (298.1KB, zip)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We thank the Department of Microbiology and Cell Science at the University of Florida and the Department of Biology at Francis Marion University for use of laboratory facilities and equipment.

Contributor Information

Jennifer K Lyles, Department of Biology, Francis Marion University, P.O. Box 100547, Florence, SC 29502, USA.

Monika Oli, Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, PO Box 110700, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.

FUNDING

This work was supported by the Academic Programs Section (APS) of the Association of Public Land-Grant Universities (APLU) [Innovative Teaching Award]; the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) [South Carolina Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE)]; and Francis Marion University [Ready to Experience Applied Learning (REAL) Program].

Conflicts of interest

None declared.

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