The Bioconductor teaching committee: A collaborative effort to consolidate Bioconductor-focused training material and establish a community of trainers
Charlotte Soneson,Laurent Gatto,Jenny Drnevich,Robert Castelo Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research
Abstract
The Carpentries (https://carpentries.org) aims to teach foundational computational and data science skills to researchers using local instructors that have been specially trained in sound pedagogical methods. They offer a variety of introductory R modules, both on generic scripting and geared towards particular fields like ecology and genomics, but there are none currently involving Bioconductor-focused training material. The Bioconductor teaching committee was established in early 2020, with the aims to: (1) provide networking opportunities and coordinate training activities (e.g., Carpentries instructor certification) for members of the Bioconductor community interested in education, (2) establish a connection with the Carpentries and begin assembling introductory as well as more specialized Bioconductor-focused training material consistent with Carpentries guiding principles, and (3) coordinate delivery of the developed training material at Bioconductor-related events, such as conferences or standalone courses, both in person and virtually. The group meets regularly and is open to interested members of the Bioconductor community. In this short talk, we will provide an update of our efforts so far, and invite a more general discussion around the training needs and opportunities within the Bioconductor community and potential for improvements through collaboration with The Carpentries.
Keywords: NA