2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

In this work-in-progress paper, we present the initial findings from the first iteration of an interactive online pedagogy course for microscopy trainers. This study results from a collaboration between two microscopists in North America and Europe who developed this unique professional development experience for core facility staff. It is a continuation of a prior collaboration to develop two-hour online pedagogy workshops for large audiences of microscopists, and it is part of the doctoral dissertation of one of the course designers, a professional microscopist studying technology education.

The microscopy community has published standards and guidelines for equipment calibration and image analysis, but no minimum guidelines exist for microscopy training. However, proper training is required to ensure end users collect light microscopy data ethically, responsibly, and reproducibly. Light microscopy training often takes place in centralized research laboratories, commonly known as core facilities. These cores are often staffed by highly skilled trainers with well-developed content knowledge in their discipline. Technology trainers typically hold advanced degrees in disciplines such as life sciences, engineering, or physics, but they may have little to no pedagogical knowledge. We propose that training the trainers to use evidence-based pedagogical practices can serve as a type of quality control standard in light microscopy education.

Following an application process, twenty people from North America and Europe were accepted to participate in the first iteration of this course. Each person has at least one year of experience as a microscopy trainer. They self-report a variety of levels of pedagogical knowledge, and they have expressed different goals for implementing pedagogical principles in their microscopy training and workshops. We will teach four, two-hour interactive synchronous course sessions on Zoom between October and December 2025. Course participants will complete approximately two hours of assignments in between sessions, receive feedback from peers and instructors, and produce a portfolio of ideas for improving their own training.

We have designed the course using Cognitive Apprenticeship principles. Using backward design, course participants will be guided to improve their own microscopy training. They’ll develop assessable learning objectives, select inclusive and active teaching tools to implement in their training routines, and use constructive alignment to select learning experiences that help their own trainees achieve the desired learning goals. The eighteen course participants who elected to enroll in the companion study will complete open-ended surveys, self-reflections, and portfolio assignments throughout Fall 2025. In this work-in-progress paper we will report the ways that participants valued the Cognitive Apprenticeship-based aspects of the course design. These results will inform future iterations of the course and allow us to make recommendations for technology trainer professional development within the microscopy community and beyond.