Course Overview:

The societal challenge of the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic increases the global needed for technology-facilitated learning. Additionally, there is a growing need for experts who can design and deliver technology-facilitated courses that enable course participants to successfully apply course knowledge content and contribute innovative solutions to societal challenges.

The H3ABioNet Bioinformatics Instructional Design Online Course is the first course in a series of online Train-the-Trainer courses with an expected outcome of teams of trainers with diverse expertise to support the performance of bioinformatics tasks in the H3Africa community. The objective of the H3ABioNet Bioinformatics Train-the-Trainer project is to develop teams of bioinformatics trainers who are able to design and deliver effective, efficient and engaging learning experiences on bioinformatics topics to the H3Africa community with the best use of H3ABioNet and H3Africa resources. For additional information, please email  

Keywords: Bioinformatics, Knowledge Transfer, Train-the-Trainer, Visualization 

Skill level of training: Beginner

Language: English   

Credential awarded:  Certificate of Achievement and Certificate of Recognition 

Type of training:  Online

Venue of Course: Online via Canvas Learning Management System

Dates for the Course: 12 October - 06 November 2020 (online weekly two-hour synchronous course sessions) 

Course Organisers: Angela Makolo, Bukola Smile, and Raphael Isokpehi (Contact: )

Registration opens:  16 September 2020

Registration closes:  02 October 2020

Notification date: 07 October 2020

Link to application form: https://redcap.link/TtT_2020

Course Sponsors: H3ABioNet and U.S. National Science Foundation (Award #2029363)

Intended Audience: H3Africa and H3ABioNet Consortium members who are interested in serving as facilitators of learning bioinformatics knowledge content.

Syllabus and Tools:

Syllabus

• Bioinformatics Knowledge Categories (Genome Analysis, Sequence Analysis, Phylogenetics, Structural Bioinformatics, Gene Expression, Genetics and Population Analysis, Systems Biology, Data and Text Mining, Databases and Ontologies, Bioimage Informatics, and Machine Learning).
• Bioinformatics Instructional Design using Knowledge Content Types (Fact, Concept, Process, Procedure and Principle). 

Tools

• Software for Word Processing, Spreadsheet, and Presentation; Learning Management System (Canvas); and Software for Visual Analytics (Tableau). 

Prerequisites: Prior Experience in Bioinformatics Research and Education.

Learning objectives: After this course, participants should be able to perform the following tasks in bioinformatics knowledge categories; content types for bioinformatics knowledge; and instructional design strategies for bioinformatics knowledge.

• Bioinformatics Knowledge Categories

Explain bioinformatics knowledge categories.

Classify bioinformatics images and text into bioinformatics knowledge categories.

Construct datasets of bioinformatics knowledge categories from scholarly articles on bioinformatics topics.

Design interactive visual representations to facilitate learning of the bioinformatics knowledge categories. 

• Content Types for Bioinformatics Knowledge

Explain knowledge content types.

Classify statements in bioinformatics text into the five knowledge content types: fact, concept, process, procedure and principle.

Construct datasets of bioinformatics knowledge content types from scholarly article on bioinformatics topics.

Design interactive visual representations to facilitate learning of the bioinformatics knowledge content types.

• Instructional Design Strategies for Bioinformatics Knowledge

Explain instructional design strategies according to the five knowledge content types.

Classify instructional design strategies according to the five knowledge content types.

Construct datasets of bioinformatics learning objectives and associated learning assessment, suggested learning activities and suggested learning sequence using content in scholarly articles on bioinformatics topics.

Design interactive visual representations to facilitate learning of the bioinformatics instructional design strategies.

Workshop limitations: This course will only provide a foundation for continued participation in the H3ABioNet Train-the-Trainer project.  The H3ABioNet Train-the-Trainer project will collect learning transaction of participants for the purpose of course improvement and development of teams of trainers.  

Course Programme:

*Participants are estimated to need 8 hours per week for self-paced learning and 2 hours per week of instructor-led synchronous session.

Training Materials Availability: 

Training materials used for this course were not directly produced by H3ABioNet but may be accessed here: https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/uibgnode/viz/bioinfo_ttt_resource/bioinfo_figuredb. Please note, these materials may be governed by different sharing/re-use policies, and you are encouraged to follow the policies of the external providers regarding material re-use and/or sharing.