Peer Teaching as Bioinformatics Training Strategy: Incentives, Challenges, and Benefits

Abstract

Bioinformatics is essential for basic and clinical research. Peer-to-peer (P2P) teaching was used to respond to the bioinformatics training needs at a research-intensive institution. In addition to the data collected from the workshops, personal experiences of the teachers were used to understand incentives, challenges, and benefits of P2P teaching. Developing communication skills such as confidence in teaching, explaining complex concepts, and better understanding of topics benefited P2P teachers. Lack of time and classroom management were identified as major challenges. Hence, P2P teaching can be beneficial not only for bioinformatics trainees but also as a professional development opportunity for peer teachers.

Keywords:

• Bioinformatics
• computational biology
• data
• education
• peer teaching
• training

Acknowledgments

We are very grateful to CWML’s assistant director of research and education services, Judy Spak, MLS, for taking the time to critically review our article and offer her valuable advice. Also, this work could not have been possible without significant data collection by Lei Wang, MSI, CWML’s assistant director of technology and innovation services.

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Nur-Taz Rahman

Nur-Taz Rahman, PhD ([email protected]) is a Symbonis Bioinformatics Fellow at Cushing/Whitney Medical Library, Yale School of Medicine.

Caitlin Meyer

Caitlin Meyer, MLS ([email protected]) is a Research and Education Librarian & Coordinator of Instruction at Cushing/Whitney Medical Library, Yale School of Medicine.

Durga Thakral

Durga Thakral ([email protected]), is a PhD candidate in the Department of Dermatology at the Yale School of Medicine.

Wesley L. Cai

Wesley L. Cai ([email protected]) is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Pathology at the Yale School of Medicine.

Ann T. Chen

Ann T. Chen ([email protected]) is a PhD Candidate in the Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science.

Razib Obaid

Razib Obaid, PhD ([email protected]) is a Project Scientist at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in Menlo Park, California.

Rolando Garcia-Milian

Rolando Garcia-Milian, MLS, AHIP ([email protected]) is a Research and Education Librarian for Bioinformatics and a Lecturer in Epidemiology at Cushing/Whitney Medical Library, Yale School of Medicine.