key: cord-346843-z82ikuqc authors: Jabbar, Abdul; Gauci, Charles G.; Anstead, Clare A. title: Parasitology education before and after the COVID-19 pandemic date: 2020-10-23 journal: Trends Parasitol DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.10.009 sha: doc_id: 346843 cord_uid: z82ikuqc The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted parasitology curricula worldwide, which is expected to lead to the reshaping of parasitology education. Here, we share our experiences of remote teaching and learning of veterinary parasitology and discuss opportunities offered by remote teaching during COVID-19 lockdowns, enabling the development of interactive online parasitology courses. Since the beginning of the 21 st century, several face-to-face and blended (i.e. face-to-face and online) learning practices, including the disciplinary-based and problem-oriented approaches have been used to teach various disciplines of parasitology worldwide [1] . For example, various learning theories for online and/or blended parasitology education, including Community of Inquiry [2] , Connectivism [3] and Online Collaborative Learning [4] have been used. Recently, the Blending with Pedagogical Purpose Model [5] has most commonly been used for teaching and learning in parasitology [1] and other disciplines [6] , where students are the learning community and multiple technologies (e.g. learning management systems) and multi-media are utilised to (i) scaffold and deliver the content of subjects/courses; (ii) promote reflective blog journals, with collaboration and peer-to-peer learning among students; and (iii) evaluate student learning. However, the social presence in a learning setting is often achieved by face-to-face teaching and interactions among students, which are key components of a learning environment. In the last two decades, these blended, student-centred learning practices [7] using adaptable digital technologies [8, 9] have become useful tools for effective and engaging parasitology teaching and learning. The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the existing teaching and learning practices from primary schools through to tertiary institutions in almost every country of the world [10] . for veterinary parasitology. Our goal is to share our experiences in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic which has brought about great uncertainty and challenges in almost every walk of life. The rapid shift seen across the tertiary education system might be the beginning of a new era in course delivery. The adoption and/or modification of teaching and learning practices tested (out of necessity) during the COVID-19 lockdown may guide or influence the re-design of parasitology curricula. On Tuesday 17 th March 2020, the Melbourne Veterinary School suspended all face-to-face teaching and we, as educators, were given three days to prepare for the online delivery of lectures and practical parasitology classes scheduled the following week. Our Parasitology team at the University of Melbourne has extensive experience in teaching parasitology to animal science and veterinary students. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, we adopted new approaches to enhance learning outcomes utilising a combination of conventional face-toface teaching and digital technologies [9] . Through reflective practice and considering the original intended learning outcomes (ILOs), we rapidly adapted the face-to-face lectures and practical classes in parasitology to online modules for Doctor of Veterinary Medicine students (second-and third-year levels within a 4-year degree, 130 students/cohort) and Bachelor of Agriculture students (third/final year level, 80 students). In support, the University offered various professional development courses through the Department of Learning Environments i to staff and students to aid with the transition to remote/online teaching. Based on our experiences of online teaching and learning in the field of veterinary parasitology, we have proposed a toolkit (Box 1) for parasitology educators; our teaching J o u r n a l P r e -p r o o f Journal Pre-proof module received appreciation from students (supplemental Table S1 ) and academic peers alike. For timely lecture delivery, we uploaded pre-recorded lectures on a learning management system (e.g. Canvas ii ) to allow student self-directed, independent learning and to avoid possible network access issues during live streaming of lectures. Subsequently, we held weekly flipped classroom [9] sessions (i.e. live question and answer (Q&A)) via Zoom iii and used polls iv to provide opportunities for cognitive, social and teaching presence for the online learning experience of students, as per the learning theory of Community of Inquiry [2] . For practical classes, we used a number of approaches and utilised pre-developed resources available online (supplemental Box S1), circumventing the difficulties associated with preparing, at short notice, a semester's worth of high-quality material, especially videos using the Loom application v . Our typical veterinary parasitology practical class involves the identification of a group of parasites, assorted hands-on techniques to isolate and identify parasites in various organs of a range of hosts, and problem-based clinical scenarios for veterinarians. We developed the 3-hour face-to-face practical classes into online modules using various asynchronous and synchronous teaching approaches to encourage deep learning, while promoting student engagement, the interaction between students and teachers and meta-connective pedagogy [12] . For each online practical class, we developed a PowerPoint presentation (supplemental Box S1) which outlined all components of the practical and provided links to external online available resources, and these slides were uploaded on Canvas one week prior to the practical class. The online practical contained an introduction to the class via a 15-20 min live interactive session using Zoom, followed by multiple independent and collaborative sessions for students via breakout rooms in Zoom, ending with a 30 min J o u r n a l P r e -p r o o f Journal Pre-proof summary via a live Zoom session using polls. The Zoom breakout room feature allowed student collaboration and lecturers to interact within smaller groups of students (10 per group). Students were also provided with the opportunity to ask questions directly via Zoom unmute, a Zoom chat (typed) as well as through an online discussion page in Canvas. In addition to recorded lectures, the entire practical class was recorded and made available to students via Canvas for later viewing, and for students unable to attend the session, or those that were in another state or country. This method of online delivery of our veterinary parasitology subject received very positive feedback from students (see supplemental Table S1 ). Additionally, we tried to mimic virtual microscopy sessions by preparing high-quality videos, high-resolution scanning of slides or photography of gross specimens (supplemental Box S1) and presenting them via several user-friendly commercially available platforms vi . The BEST network platform, in particular, is highly interactive as it not only allows a virtual microscopic experience but also permits annotation which is an invaluable tool for both students and teachers. In addition to positive student feedback, the average exam scores for pre-and post-pandemic cohorts was comparable, indicating that the modified methods of content delivery were effective. Strategically targeted questions using flipped classroom approach [9] were also posed to students during the online Q&A sessions/practicals (using a polling application) which allowed live gauging of the level of student understanding. Some Use existing 'active' resources and specify the parts that need to be viewed. Provide interactive group activities (e.g. online quizzes, polls, discussion boards, subject dedicated Facebook page, etc.) which support peer learning and collaboration. Communicate clear instructions and expectations about the assessment. Emotional openness is a great instructional strategy, so don't hide your feelings and use "icebreakers" during teaching and learning activities. For example, ask at the beginning of a lesson "What is a new skill/interest you have undertaken during isolation?" Use virtual office hours using platforms like Zoom to interact and provide social support to students. This can be a great way to collect student feedback on your online teaching and identify any issues which need immediate addressing. Once you find a teaching style working for you, feel free to repeat it each week until you are back in your classroom! Editorial special issue -learning and teaching of veterinary parasitology Assessing social presence in asynchronous text-based computer conferencing Connectivism: a learning theory for the digital age Learning Theory and Online Technologies Promoting Self-Directed Learning through the Implementation of Cooperative Learning in a Higher Education Blended Learning Environment Theories and frameworks for online education: Seeking an integrated model Can new digital technologies support parasitology teaching and learning? Covid-19 and rapid adoption and improvisation of online teaching: curating resources for extensive versus intensive online learning experiences e-Learning, online learning, and distance learning environments: Are they the same? Online design education: meta-connective pedagogy Asynchronous and synchronous online teaching: perspectives of Canadian high school distance education teachers From bricks and mortar to remote teaching: a teacher education programmer's response to COVID-19 We are grateful to Professor Robin B. Gasser for his advice and suggestions during the rapid adoption and improvisation of online parasitology teaching as well as providing feedback on the manuscript.