Fidelity of Implementation as a Guiding Framework for Transitioning Research-Based Instructional Practices from On Site to Online

In this Perspective, we contribute to the Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education special issue “Opportunities and Challenges of Online Instruction—Blurring the Lines Between Online and On-Site Teaching and Learning” by introducing a framework to guide instructors in transitioning from on-site to online instruction. The discipline-based education research community has produced a significant literature base demonstrating the effectiveness of various research-based instructional practices (RBIPs) that support student learning in face-to-face environments. However, little is known about how to transport these practices into the online environment. We introduce fidelity of implementation (FOI) as a framework for considering how to adapt RBIPs for online contexts while maintaining the integrity of the aspects of the practice that are thought to support student learning. We use our own experience responding to the global pandemic to provide rich examples of how FOI was used to anticipate challenges in transitioning online and describe how it was used to adapt an RBIP for online instruction.