The Future of Virology Education

The rapidly evolving pace of scientific information, technology, and innovation in pedagogical approaches provides an opportunity to consider the future of virology education. Virology curriculum guidelines for undergraduate and graduate education call for student-centered approaches with a focus on integrating concepts by virology topics rather than by virus family. Through backward design, courses should be structured based on desired student learning outcomes in virology, and then the process and content should be developed to align with the learning goals. Learning goals and content in graduate virology education place additional emphasis on skill building and higher-order analysis. Evidence-based teaching practices favor active-learning strategies that promote student engagement and critical thinking such as group work, journal club discussions, and experiential learning over a lecture-based education model. Teaching approaches should also foster the establishment of supportive learning environments that meet the needs of a varied population of learners and promote belonging in the virology community.