Identify and assess E-learning Needs

SIB e-learning courses complement, but do not replace, SIB Training courses (Identify and assess training needs). They can ensure participants have the necessary background and needed knowledge to follow the SIB Training courses. For example, the e-learning course on UNIX Fundamentals can be taken if the “First Steps with UNIX in Life Sciences” course cannot be attended. Like SIB Training courses, e-learning courses combine theory and practice, and are designed for self-study on specific topics at the learner’s own pace.

E-learning courses are freely accessible and do not require login credentials at the SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics E-learning Portal. Participants who complete e-learning courses do not receive certificates or ECTS credits.

To determine the importance of a topic, it should interest a large, global audience. SIB e-learning courses should not duplicate courses available elsewhere. Topics are identified through discussions with the SIB Training Group and other trainers. Generally, e-learning courses cover basic topics for beginners.

E-learning courses can replace introductory courses to SIB resources which will interest a world-wide audience, for example, the e-learning course on ISMARA: A tool to infer genome-wide regulatory interactions or Cellosaurus : A resource on cell lines. In this way, more advanced topics on the SIB resources can be offered in SIB Training courses. Topics falling in this category are identified by establishing which SIB resources have not yet been the topic of a SIB Training course. Note that the EBI proposes many courses on UniProtKB; hence, only UniProtKB topics which are not covered by EBI courses will be considered for SIB e-learning courses, for example, ViralZone.

E-learning courses may also cover transversal topics of interest to a large audience and include several modules, for example, the e-learning course on SARS-CoV-2 : Studying a new virus.