This Professional Guide in the Resources for Training Trainers series introduces the Mastery Rubric for Bioinformatics (MR-Bi), describing its structure and how it maps performance as learners traverse a developmental trajectory from lower- to higher-order critical-thinking skills. The focus of the Guide is on understanding the MR-Bi’s key elements, outlining their potential to inform and guide learner development and course design.

Specifically, this Guide outlines the principal components of the MR-Bi. On carefully reading the Guide, and engaging with the reflections and exercises, readers will be able to:

• describe the general structure of the MR-Bi;
• list some of the key Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) the MR-Bi was designed to help deliver;
• define the developmental stages of the MR-Bi;
• identify the Bloom’s-level(s) of cognitive complexity, and broad academic level(s), compatible with each stage;
• describe how performance and critical thinking change as learners traverse the developmental trajectory;   
• identify the KSAs that would need to be modified to adapt the MR-Bi to a closely related scientific discipline(s); and
• pinpoint your own stage of development in some of the requisite KSAs.

This Guide will be relevant to individuals engaging in professional development (whether they’re seeking to augment their existing skills or to acquire new ones), to supervisors aiming to upskill their students and/or their mentees, and to instructors aiming to develop bioinformatics courses or programmes.