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The Brain Bee serves as an international platform providing high school students with opportunities for undergraduate and graduate-level education in neuroscience. This annual competition welcomes participation from high school students and schools, fostering both individual- and team-based competition in a dynamic and engaging manner. The assessment involves a primary multiple-choice and short-answer exam, a secondary neuroanatomical lab practical exam, and a final oral exam administered by affiliated faculty or coordinators. During the final oral exam, the top ten students are given three chances and simultaneously respond to the same question. They write their answers on individual whiteboards until only one student remains. This unique format not only adds an element of excitement, but also allows students to build confidence within themselves and connections within STEM fields. The importance of local Brain Bees is emphasized as winners from these chapters earn the opportunity to compete nationally, and potentially internationally. Throughout the academic year, local Brain Bees, led by college students and faculty, educate high school students about various neuroscientific fields and their STEM applications through interactive and engaging sessions. These sessions culminate in an annual competition where students explore the intricacies of the human brain, spanning human physiology, pathology, and behavior. The program also exposes students to anatomical models, research, and guest speakers within the field of neuroscience. To ensure the success and continuity of local chapters, our 12-tips article provides valuable advice for running a safe and smoothly operating Brain Bee program, promoting sustained participation and enthusiasm.
RESUMO
The COVID-19 pandemic forced students and educators to shift from the traditional physical classrooms (face to face) to online platforms such as the Zoom to host live synchronous sessions. Although this video teleconferencing software facilitated communication between students and faculty around the world, technically the blank, silenced log-in screens removed the "connectedness" of the classroom. A medical educator plays music during the pre-class Zoom synchronous session as an approach to encourage a positive learning environment in a preclinical science course.
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Medical education programs in the United States or Canada comply with the Liaison Committee on medical education standards to ensure their graduates provide proficient medical care. One standard includes student development as a lifelong learner. The competency of lifelong learning is developed through self-directed activities such as students evaluating their learning objectives and resources without external help.Quick response (QR) codes were the technological tools introduced in a traditional medical institution to enhance students' self-directed initiative to tap resources. Relevant lecture objectives and other information such as supplemental discipline content, reading assignments and web-based link resources were embedded into codes and 'pasted' onto all pages of their course PDF handouts. It was anticipated that most students had access to smart phones to conveniently scan the codes and retrieve the information.However, an in-class survey conducted showed that only 30% of the students found the QR codes useful. Further questioning revealed that some students just didn't know how to use the codes or didn't think the information embedded was worth the effort to decrypt. Although students were tech-savvy in the social and entertainment realms, they were not adept in the use of technology for educational purposes.QR codes presented several theoretical, pedagogical advantages to enhance experiential and self-directed learning. However, implementation among students, in a traditional classroom, required prior instructions on usage. Student feedback was also imperative when introducing novel, innovative tools like QR codes.