Welcome to ASMCUE in Seattle, Washington! Registered attendees are able to download the mobile app onto their phone, create a log-in, and make a personalized schedule and chat with attendees. Questions? Email [email protected]
Log in to add sessions to your schedule and sync them to your phone or calendar.
As microbiology laboratory students worked in small groups focusing on hands-on, active learning, we noticed class-wide interactions were low; students worked in isolation and left immediately upon completion. To bridge this gap, undergraduate teaching assistants (UTAs) suggested a fun, competitive award system. The goal was to acknowledge technical skill and attention to detail while building community through competitive playfulness. UTAs implemented a merit-badge system inspired by Scout traditions. Each week, they inspected bench cleanliness and evaluated techniques to award physical pins featuring humorous, AI-generated microbiology graphics to exemplary individuals or groups. Survey data indicated strong support. This initiative successfully bookended daily experiments; students eagerly anticipated announcements, celebrated peers' successes, and proudly wore the badges on their lab coats all semester. Come by this poster to see our badge designs and button-making toolkit. We encourage you to share the creative, affordable, playful tools you use in your labs!
