Histology Resources for Promoting Blended Learning

Abstract

Human health courses at universities are facing different challenges to provide students with real laboratory experiences due to the combination of large course cohorts with a shortage of academic staff, resources and time. Future health professionals are encouraged to have a complete understanding of human anatomy and histology as well as to have some pathology and diagnostic skills including the necessary skills to use a microscope. However, students often find learning histology challenging as they usually need to learn how to use a microscope in a limited time during a practical timetabled with several peers, in which they are also required to undertake other activities such as tissue embedding, cutting and staining. To address these factors, different web-based resources have been made available to enhance learning of anatomy and histology, however they are directed to medical students so their use by non-medical students (e.g. pharmacy, biomedical science, nursing, etc.) is limited due to their complexity. As a result, De Montfort University (DMU, UK) is leading an international project to develop an on-line package for teaching and learning biology, named DMU e-Biology, which will cover not only the foundation but also the latest scientific knowledge on human biology. This novel resource is also equipped with a Virtual Microscope and a Virtual Laboratory. The Virtual Laboratory will present different subsections with a range of units regarding biomedical techniques and equipment, which will be developed following previous successful experience from the team. Units will be highly engaging and will contain short videos of academics and/or technicians working hands-on with equipment and/or techniques to bring the laboratory to the student's house. Videos will be enhanced with audio and subtitles in English and the user will be able to complete a series of voluntary self-assessments throughout each unit to enhance engagement and provide the user with tools to evaluate their acquisition of knowledge. A subsection will cover all the elements to perform routine histological techniques in a biomedical laboratory, including the use and practicalities of the microtome, how to perform paraffin embedding and tissue sampling, and common staining techniques such as haematoxylin & eosin (H&E) and periodic acid-Schiff stain (PAS). The histology section will be publicly available from the DMU website in late 2018 here http://parasitology.dmu.ac.uk/ebiology/ biologyLaboratory_units.htm.Additionally, this resource is supported by a virtual microscope in which the user will be able to explore a library of virtual histological slides from different human tissues and organs; the virtual microscope will transfer the practicalities of a microscope to study human histology. These resources will be tested with first year BSc Biomedical Science and BMedSci Medical Science students enrolled in the module Basic Anatomy and Physiology at DMU by implementing blended learning, i.e. a pedagogy that integrates e-learning resources and mate...

Effectiveness comparison between blended learning of histology practical in flipped physical classrooms and flipped virtual classrooms for MBBS students

“…With the help of online activities, students can focus on solving difficulties and applying their knowledge in classroom learning; they also have more time to listen to their peers’ insights and engage in active conversations. Therefore, students should be provided with clear expectations, as well as numerous opportunities for self-paced and multimodal engagement with the target content both online and face-to-face [ 19 , 50 , 51 ].…”

Virtual Libraries of Tissue and Clinical Samples: Potential Role of a 3-D Microscope

“…The sections that are closest to completion are the theoretical module ( Fig. 2), which includes the following subsections: a) brief introduction to biology; b) chemistry; c) cells; d) cellular respiration; e) tissues, anatomy and physiology; f) genetics and g) microbiology; and the histology section [12] in the DMU e-Biology virtual laboratory module. This novel web-based DMU environment will also be provided with a virtual microscope module with real clinical slides of human tissue samples for the study of human histology and histopathology.…”