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Emerging infectious diseases are shaped by microbiology and the environmental and socio-economic factors that influence transmission, yet these interactions are often difficult to illustrate through traditional classroom and laboratory activities. Photovoice, a participatory visual research method in which participants use photography to document and interpret their surroundings, has the potential to provide an engaging way to connect microbiology concepts to students' everyday experiences. This study investigated the use of Photovoice as a collaborative learning strategy to explore students’ perceptions of infectious diseases while strengthening science communication skills. The project partnered an Emerging Infectious Diseases course (n=24) with a First-Year Seminar on Science Communication (n=20) at a primarily undergraduate institution. Student teams in the infectious diseases course developed a Photovoice prompt focused on disease transmission, which guided first-year seminar students in photographing behaviors, locations, and conditions associated with infectious disease spread. Emerging infectious diseases students then selected and captioned the images; identified common themes; and integrated microbiological concepts, including fomite transmission, environmental reservoirs, and population density with socio-cultural determinants of disease spread. Student learning was assessed using a post-project survey (n = 44) measuring gains in content knowledge, analytical thinking, and science communication skills. 95% of participants agreed Photovoice enhanced their understanding of visual storytelling as a tool for communicating public health concepts and applying photographic evidence to real-world disease contexts. 100% of the students in the Emerging Infectious Diseases class and 76% of the first-year seminar participants reported improved ability to connect visual observations with microbiological concepts and greater awareness of environmental disease risks. Open-ended responses highlighted recognition of microbial contamination in everyday environments and the value of interdisciplinary collaboration. These findings suggest that Photovoice is an effective pedagogical strategy for reinforcing microbiology concepts while fostering the analytical, collaborative, and science communication skills essential for future public health and microbiology professionals.
