Advancing Next Generation Bio-Technician Preparedness in Northeast Florida

该ATE第二轨道项目旨在通过改进佛罗里达东北部地区生物技术教育的课程和教材，为国家利益服务。生物技术目前正在经历一场全球性的演变，新的创新、发展和突破证明了这一点。推动生物技术创新的最显著领域包括计算、人工智能、机器学习、大数据、合成生物学、混合现实技术等。该领域的主要挑战之一是培养一支拥有这些新兴领域所需的知识、技能和能力的劳动力队伍。为了使学生具备成功进入劳动力市场所需的技能，该项目计划将这些新兴技术的教学整合到现有的生物技术课程中。这种多管齐下的项目改进工作有可能更好地为学生和区域技术人员进入快速发展的生物技术领域做好准备。该项目的目标是：1)更新当前生物技术实验室技术理学副学士学位课程的课程，包括修改后的实习课程；2)掌握先进的仪器，培养学生使用研究级仪器的技能；3)实施动手操作的生物技术移动迷你实验室，让K-12学生和教师参与当前和应用的STEM课程。一项全面的评价工作旨在为正在进行的项目改进提供数据，并提供有关新的和正在出现的技术领域的培训实践的知识。此外，项目结果旨在推进STEM教育知识，了解生物技术项目中基于探究设备的主动学习如何提高学生对生物技术劳动力的准备。该项目的成果和产品预计将传播给其他有兴趣改进课程以满足地区或国家对熟练生物技术人员需求的两年制大学技术项目。该项目由先进技术教育计划资助，该计划侧重于为推动国家经济的先进技术领域培养技术人员。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This ATE Track 2 project aims to serve national interest by improving curricula and educational materials in biotechnician education in the Northeast Florida region. Biotechnology is currently undergoing a global evolution as evidenced by new innovations, developments, and breakthroughs. The most notable areas propelling biotechnology innovation involve computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, synthetic biology, mixed reality technologies, and others. One of the key challenges in this sector is developing a workforce that possesses the knowledge, skills, and competencies needed for these emerging areas. To prepare students with the skills they will need to enter the workforce successfully, this project plans to integrate instruction on these emerging technologies into an existing Biotechnology program. This multipronged program improvement effort has the potential to better prepare students and regional technicians to enter the rapidly advancing biotechnology field.The project goals are to: 1) update courses in the current Biotechnology Laboratory Technology Associate in Science degree program to include a modified externship course; 2) acquire advanced instruments for students to develop skills using research-grade instruments; and 3) implement hands-on, biotechnology mobile mini-labs that engage K-12 students and teachers in current and applied STEM curricula. A comprehensive evaluation effort seeks to provide data for ongoing project improvement as well as to contribute knowledge regarding training practices in new and emerging technical fields. Additionally, project findings aim to advance STEM education knowledge about how active and inquiry-equipment based learning within a biotechnology program improves students' readiness for the biotechnology workforce. Results and products of the project are expected to be disseminated to other two-year college technical programs interested in improving curriculum to meet regional or national needs for skilled biotechnicians. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the Nation's economy.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.