Preference of Interactive Electronic Versus Traditional Learning Resources by University of Michigan Medical Students during the First Year Histology Component

• Published in: Medical science educator Vol. 23; no. 4; pp. 607 - 619
• Main Authors: Holaday, Louisa, Selvig, Daniel, Purkiss, Joel, Hortsch, Michael
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer-Verlag 01-12-2013
• Subjects: Education; Medical Education; Original Research; electronic learning resources; Histology; microanatomy; virtual microscopy
• ISSN: 2156-8650; 2156-8650
• DOI: 10.1007/BF03341688

Histology or microanatomy is an integral component of most first year medical curricula. As histology is heavily based on the review and analysis of images, modern educational resources are increasingly used for teaching this subject. These novel didactic approaches often supplement more traditional offerings of the material, such as lectures and laboratory sessions. After completion of their M1 histology component, University of Michigan medical students participated in a voluntary survey about their study habits and their use of various histology learning resources and how this usage changed over time. The data presented in this analysis demonstrate a strong preference of these students for studying histology with electronic rather than traditional learning resources. In particular, students’ use of scheduled didactic opportunities decreased over the progression of the course. Students also exhibited a strong inclination to study histology individually rather than in study groups. These reported insights in students’ preferences suggest a need to develop and update educational tools for teaching this very visual subject.