Exploring Knowledge and Skill-Based Performance of STEM Students to Digital, Written and Video-Based Tutorials for Cell Culture Techniques

This research full paper describes a measuring performance using assessments allows instructors to evaluate if students have developed the requisite skills and knowledge needed to advance in their field. Cognitive factors alone do not contribute to performance. Researchers are increasingly utilizing physiological sensing techniques and biological markers to gain a deeper sense of the science of learning and performance. This exploratory study seeks to understand how cognitive and training performance looks like for a group of seven undergraduate biomedical and chemical engineering students participating in a summer research experience. Students were tasked to learn about cell culture lab techniques using video-based tutorials (experimental condition) or digitally written tutorials (control condition). A quiz was designed, face and content validated by the authors and provided to the students before and after the cell culture training. Preliminary observations suggest improved laboratory student performance, using video-based instruction. Future work will seek to better understand how lab training interventions based on video and other forms of instructional aids can improve laboratory student performance.