MicroscopyEducation
Student Engagement Following the workshop, students were asked to comment
on their experience, with the feedback from the students being very positive—an indication that student engagement was high. Comments from students included, “Experimenting with mul- tiple imaging settings for the SEM simulation improved my understanding of the equipment’s utility in real lab settings,” and “Two-way communication (Zoom SEM session) was way better than a PowerPoint presentation, and the online simula- tion tool allowed us to have valuable personal experiences with the SEM.” In addition, it was noted that the choice of specimen was a critical feature in promoting student engagement during the remote learning activity, as Peacock (Maratus) spiders are a species of great interest due to their well-known “spider dance” and their vibrant structural colors.
Conclusion In summary, we have developed a remote learning electron
microscopy program for undergraduate university students during the COVID-19 pandemic at the University of Newcastle. In addition to learning electron microscopy via both an online simulation and an interactive live SEM session, the students learned about structural color, that is, color that originates from the precise and periodic nanostructure of a specimen. Structur- ally colored features require high-resolution microscopy tools to investigate and are, hence, an ideal choice for an electron micros- copy workshop. Te MyScope Explore online platform enabled the students to learn independently and to experience all of the steps in imaging a nanostructured sample with SEM, providing an enriching learning experience for students during a year with strict access limitations to existing scientific infrastructure.
Acknowledgements Biological photographer Michael Doe from Project Mara-
tus is thanked for contribution of Maratus spider specimens; Project Maratus promotes research into the iconic Australian Peacock (Maratus) spiders. We acknowledge University of Newcastle undergraduate students Isaac A. Gill and Benjamin Stanwell for their assistance in coordinating the Spring School microscopy session; Microscopy Australia staff member Susan Warner for facilitating the new content entry into MyScope Explore; and Andres Vasquez for programming in MyScope Explore. Graphic designer Nicole Weaver is thanked for con- tributing Figure 6 – creative design of schedule. Te authors acknowledge the research facilities and expertise supported by Microscopy Australia and the University of Sydney. We fur- ther acknowledge the technical assistance provided by Sydney Microscopy and Microanalysis, a Core Research Facility of the University of Sydney. Tis work was performed in part at the Materials Node (Newcastle) of the Australian National Fabri- cation Facility (ANFF), which is a company established under the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy to provide nano- and micro-fabrication facilities for Australia’s researchers. Te University of Newcastle Electron Microscopy and X-ray (EMX) Unit provided access to electron microscopes.
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