key: cord-0966616-hxrgfkbi
authors: Corson, Timothy W; Hawkins, Shannon M; Sanders, Elmer; Byram, Jessica; Cruz, Leigh-Ann; Olson, Jacob; Speidell, Emily; Schnabel, Rose; Balaji, Adhitya; Ogbeide, Osas; Dinh, Julie; Hinshaw, Amy; Cummings, Laura; Bonds, Vicki; Nakshatri, Harikrishna
title: Building a virtual summer research experience in cancer for high school and early undergraduate students: lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic
date: 2020-11-23
journal: bioRxiv
DOI: 10.1101/2020.11.23.393967
sha: c43c752362258927dc5b1386af2452254ff20e1f
doc_id: 966616
cord_uid: hxrgfkbi

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 an 11-item Research Preparation scale, daily electronic feedback, and structured evaluation and feedback via Zoom weekly. 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.

, and application review, interviews, and candidate selection were almost complete 7 "hibernation" of research on our campus, pausing all but essential in-person research, as Indiana 104 and much of the United States were placed under stay-at-home orders [17] . Since an in-person 105 program became impossible, we opted to retool the curriculum as a virtual experience because of 106 the importance of the programs in the lives of young interns, not just as a career-enhancing 107 experience, but also as a full-time, stipend-based activity in a summer with few other options. 108

Here, we describe how the traditional SRP and FSP pipeline programs were modified into 109 a virtual summer program, named Virtual Summer Research Experience in Cancer (vSREC), and 110 its impact on participating interns. This first-of-its-kind virtual pipeline program is unique in that 111 it brought together a diverse group of high school and undergraduate students, high school 112 teachers, IUSCCC leadership, and faculty mentors with a shared goal to provide a positive 113 experience in early biomedical research. Such a program is not only useful in future situations 114 that require virtual learning, but also could be implemented on a routine basis to provide summer 115 opportunities to students from rural school districts, non-research-intensive universities, or 116 universities not affiliated with a cancer center or medical school. 117

All vSREC interns were invited to participate from May 2020 to July 2020. Intern 120 demographics are detailed in Table 1 and included six Caucasian, 14 African American, one in cancer biology and medicine; to inspire interns to pursue further studies in science and/or 132 medicine; and to build long-term relationships between mentors and interns. For vSREC, we 133 added the objective of enhancing contemporary scientific literacy through education on virology 134

and SARS-CoV2, as new knowledge in this area was moving incredibly rapidly in the summer of 135 2020, along with significant dissemination of misinformation [18] . Additionally, we aimed to 136 provide hands-on training for dealing with diversity and inclusion. This training was particularly 137 timely during the Summer 2020 period of Black Lives Matter protests across the United States 138 and recognition of racism, discrimination, and microaggressions in health care settings [19] [20] [21] [22] . To meet all these objectives, vSREC utilized input and expertise in technology, teaching 143 and evaluation, and cancer biology from a diverse group of individuals. Technology-adept local 144 undergraduate students, who had completed rigorous science coursework, had a desire to pursue 145 health-or science-related fields, had laboratory research experience, and/or had completed 146 Interns participate digitally through Zoom, email, online modules and other means. Summer Team (teachers and undergraduates) serve as moderators of events and designated instructional team.

Building of program teams (mentor selection, summer team, research and didactic topic selection) (May)

Program implementation (June-July)

A B

previous summer research programs on campus, provided hands-on and competent technology 147 support, vertical mentoring, and campus navigation and networking advice. Local science 148 teachers designed and delivered a 6-week core curriculum covering topics related to the research 149 processes, scientific literacy, ethics, and grade-level resources for academic and career Responses to the post-survey were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Finally, free response 184 data from pre-and post-surveys were coded and analyzed using thematic analysis. 185

All 22 interns in the vSREC completed the pre-survey. In a free-text response, six interns 188 expressed concerns about having a different research experience due to the virtual format. 189

Specifically, they worried about not getting hands-on experience and having difficulty working 190 with their mentors at a distance. 191

A total of 18 interns completed the post-survey (12 in the SRP and six in the FSP, 82% 193 response rate). All interns agreed or strongly agreed that their mentors were available to answer questions, provide advice, feedback, and provide resources to complete their research project 195 ( Figure 3A) Each intern rated the vSREC experience as good or excellent. All self-reported gaining a 208 greater appreciation for research, learning ethical conduct of research, and studying a topic in 209 depth. Fifty-five percent agreed or strongly agreed that they wanted to pursue a career in research 210 ( Figure 3B ). Interns found expert speakers to be the most enjoyable aspects of the vSREC, 211 followed by networking events. They appreciated the speakers sharing their research experiences 212 and the pathways they took in their careers to reach their goals. One intern described: 213

The most enjoyable aspect of the virtual summer research experience was being able to 214 hear all these different guest speakers who had such different paths that they followed to 215 achieve their goal. It was overwhelming and very encouraging to continue chasing my 216

dream after hearing all the bad experiences and setbacks that they experienced yet still 217 managed to overcome. 218 Interns also discussed the digital skills they learned during the virtual program and how 222 they planned to use these in the future. Interns discussed how many of the skills in Zoom, 223

Google Drive, and Canvas would assist them in college, particularly in online courses. 224

While the interns overwhelmingly enjoyed the virtual program, many discussed their 225 challenges and recommendations for future virtual programs. Nearly half of respondents 226 expressed a desire to have a hands-on research experience and felt it was difficult to sit in front 227 of their computer for several hours a day. Interns recommended having more activities that were 228 interactive to build rapport and engagement among interns and mentoring staff and to try to 229 match interns in a lab with others at their level of education. 

Percentage of respondents (n=18) program and expected student attrition. However, all but one student selected for the program 259 based on an interview before hibernation readily accepted the offer to participate in vSREC. 260

Moreover, each intern finished the program. The self-reported student and mentor outcomes 261 strongly suggest a high degree of satisfaction with the program. However, there is an opportunity 262 for further improvements, which are described below. 263

The research mentors provided a crucial link to research projects, models of cancer 265 research career paths, and discipline-specific lecture topics, ensuring a cancer research focus was 266 

Active participation of high school teachers was key to the success of this program, as 275 they applied their teaching and student-teacher interaction skills to keep interns engaged during 276 the entire program. They also designed the curriculum shared by all interns, providing a common 277 point of reference for all program participants. In the future, it will be valuable to draw on 278 teacher expertise to design tests of student knowledge pre-and post-program, to ensure that self-279 reported learning achievements are supported by unbiased metrics. 280

Recruiting teachers for summer programs may pose a challenge in the future. Currently, 281 teachers are seeing fewer opportunities for professional development within their schools 282 because more time is being taken up to troubleshoot and prepare for the health and safety of the 283 students within the virtual and in-person teaching platforms. This, in turn, creates fewer 284 opportunities to enlist other strong teachers to help out with the summer program. A further 285 challenge is that teachers are working longer hours to develop virtual and in-person lessons to 286 accommodate the hybrid calendars created by most schools. This gives them less personal time 287

to participate in professional development activities such as the Teacher Research Program. In 288 the future, similar programs will need to consider innovative ways to recruit and retain strong 289 teachers to help facilitate these high school pipeline programs. 290

The undergraduate students of the Summer Team were an invaluable part of the program, 291

providing near-peer mentoring and technological support for online tools. The availability of 292 computing devices and a good internet connection is a limiting factor for any virtual program. In 293 an ideal program, tablets with cellular data connections would be made available to interns who 294 need them. Although using multiple learning management system (LMS) platforms allowed for 295 more comprehensive functionality than opting for a single standalone platform, this multi-296 platform use caused confusion for the interns, as they often struggled to remember the purpose of 297 each platform. However, the benefits of this multi-platform method included access to the 298 different native tools within each platform. No one platform provides all of the features needed 299 to run a wholly virtual program. Still, training on integrating external platforms such as G Suite 300

and Zoom into a central LMS system such as Canvas can help reduce some of the confusion that for all interns by a member of the institution's educational IT support team could help better 303 prepare students for the upcoming program. 304

A current problem in education is how to engage students with limited mobility (i.e., 306 long-term wheel-chair bound or temporary injury limited mobility students) in the laboratory 307

[24]. While the rehabilitation field has used adaptive sports as therapy [25] , the adaptation of 308 equipment and research facilities has been less swift. The opportunities for virtual research 309 projects, such as those examples described here, offer a chance for meaningful engagement in 310 cancer research to interns previously hindered by limited mobility. As work from home and 311 telehealth becomes more accepted, we envision innovative opportunities to increase. 312

The IUSCCC SRP program typically gets >200 applications for 15-17 slots. Thus, many 314 students with interest in cancer research do not get the opportunity to participate. Further, 315 IUSCCC summer programs do not provide a residential option, so many students from rural 316 communities may be disadvantaged from participating. The virtual programs, however, offer the 317 opportunity to engage students beyond geographic proximity to National Cancer Institute-318 designated cancer centers, particularly for those cancer centers that have entire states as their 319 catchment area. Thus, a program such as this, developed in response to COVID-19, can 320 potentially change the depth and breadth of cancer education. These impactful programs allow 321 cancer centers to engage with communities. Although we hope that IUSCCC will be in a position 322

to offer a hands-on laboratory experience in 2021, our virtual framework provides an appealing

This study received approval from the Institutional Review Board at Indiana University (IRB 339 protocol #1110007280, approved 05/29/2020) 340

Not applicable. 342

The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding 344 author on reasonable request.

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Virtual grand rounds as a novel means for applicants 375 and programs to connect in the era of COVID-19

Choosing the new normal for surgical education 378 using alternative platforms

Undergraduate research as high-impact student experience

Broadening participation in undergradaute 388 research: Fostering excellence

Undergraduate research 391 experiences: Impacts and opportunities

Undergraduate student-393 faculty partnerships affect student retention

The STEM Pipeline: The role of 395 summer research experience in minority students

How you behave in school predicts life success 398 above and beyond family background, broad traits, and cognitive ability

Teachers' participation in research 401 programs improves their students' achievement in science

Scientific research progress of COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2 in the first 404 five months

Statewide COVID-19 stay-at-home orders and population 406 mobility in the United States

The "pandemic" of disinformation in

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I didn't know what to say": Responding to 412 racism, discrimination, and microaggressions with the OWTFD approach

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