Expanding the Reach of Bioinformatics Training Jennifer McDowall, Ph.D. Senior Scientist
Mar 29, 2015
Expanding the Reach
of Bioinformatics Training
Jennifer McDowall, Ph.D.Senior Scientist
What type of training is required?
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Two types of training:
1) Training the bioinformaticians of the future
• Universities and affiliated institutes
• EMBL-EBI affiliated with
• Graduate training (MSc & PhD)
• Post-doctorate training
• Visitors’ program
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Two types of training:
2) User training
• Wide diversity of end users
• Bioinformaticians• Biologists• Environmental scientists• Agricultural scientists• Clinicians• Medical informaticians• Chemoinformaticians…
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Two types of training:
2) User training
• Wide diversity of end users
• Broad range of training – level and method
• EMBL-EBI:
• Hands-on training programs
• Bioinformatics Roadshows
• eLearning programs
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User-training program
www.ebi.ac.uk/training
Hands-Hands-ononTrainingTraining
BioinformaticBioinformatics Roadshowss Roadshows
E-E-learninglearning
Courses and workshops
Courses and workshops
Training comes to
you
Training comes to
you
Training anywhere, anytime, at any
pace
Training anywhere, anytime, at any
pace
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Hands-on training
• Interactive training through a combination of talks and practical exercises.
• Different levels of training from general overviews to focusing on specific data types and programmatic access.
• Learn from experts in the field.• Full programme at www.ebi.ac.uk/training/handson
Wellcome Images
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Hands-on programme 2009/2010Genomes
29–31 Mar 2010
Genomes29–31 Mar 2010
Transcriptomes18–23 Oct 2010
Transcriptomes18–23 Oct 2010
Proteomes9-13 Nov 2009
Proteomes9-13 Nov 2009
Small molecule resources25–29 Jan 2010
Small molecule resources25–29 Jan 2010
Integrating resources for systems biology11–13 Apr 2010
Integrating resources for systems biology11–13 Apr 2010
Dip into the EBI’s data resources19–22 Oct 2009
Dip into the EBI’s data resources19–22 Oct 2009
Programmatic accessto the EBI’s DBs22–26 Feb 2010
Programmatic accessto the EBI’s DBs22–26 Feb 2010
StructuresSep 2010
StructuresSep 2010
Walk through the EBI’s data resources
14–18 June 2010
Walk through the EBI’s data resources
14–18 June 2010
NextgenSequencing
2010 Date tbc
NextgenSequencing
2010 Date tbc
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Bioinformatics Roadshows
• Takes hands-on training to the user
• Host selects content relevant to their institute
• Universities, Institutes, Industry• Presentations with hands-on practical sessions• Use host computer facilities
• Coordinated by EMBL-EBI in collaboration with:• Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics • European Patent Office• BRENDA project
• Details at www.ebi.ac.uk/training/roadshow/
• or contact Jan Copeland ([email protected])
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Support for Roadshows
• EU Integrated Infrastructure Initiative FELICS• Supported hosted hands-on training
• SLING (Mar 2009-Feb 2012)
• Fully funded roadshows within Europe
• Some funds for individuals who cannot host a roadshow to attend one elsewhere
• Annual networking sessions with trainers and hosts to develop a sustainable system for training
• Roadshow hosts encouraged and supported to develop own local training program
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36 roadshows in three years
>550 users trained
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eLearning
• Allows users to work at their own pace
• Experts in field create and monitor each course• Challenges
• Keeping material up to date
• Better to teach concepts than provide step by step guides
• Motivating trainees to complete courses
• Better to incorporate time-limited elements
• eg Trainer online on specific days
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Video tutoriallearn by watching
and listening
Video tutoriallearn by watching
and listening
Modular courses
Print tutorialLearn by reading
Print tutorialLearn by reading
QuizLearn by testing
your understanding
QuizLearn by testing
your understanding
Reflective taskLearn by practicing
Reflective taskLearn by practicing
eLearning
• Courses contains 3–5 modules (~30 min each)• Each module contains…
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Building sustainability into training programs
• Cannot train every user.
• We can support other trainers by…• Providing training materials• Guidelines for running training courses
• We can support users by…• Developing eLearning courses • Providing training materials online• User feedback• Provide helpdesk for databases
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EBI and the ELIXIR training strategy
• ELIXIR is an EU-funded project
• www.elixir-europe.org
• Development of data resources should be tightly linked to provision of training materials
• Centralized coordination of bioinformatics user training through a training support unit
• EU funded
• ELIXIR’s training recommendations:
• Provision of training/outreach staff should be built into funding mechanism
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• Improve accessibility of bioinformatics training materials by:
• Build a registry of freely available training materials
• Develop bench-marking systems
• Act as a main point of contact with other training infrastructures
Aims of EBI and ELIXIR
• Build communities of trainers, trainees and other stakeholders
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