Teaching morphologic features of biopsy slides using projection microscope versus the conventional method of teaching: A comparative study

• Main Authors: Vijayanand Choudhary, Sangeeta Pankaj
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2019-01-01
• Series: Journal of Current Research in Scientific Medicine
• Subjects: Biopsy slide; conventional method; Histopathology; Likert scale; morphologic feature; OSPE; projection microscope; teaching method; visual aid
• Online Access: http://www.jcrsmed.org/article.asp?issn=2455-3069;year=2019;volume=5;issue=1;spage=51;epage=54;aulast=Choudhary
• ISSN: 2455-3069; 2455-3069

Introduction: Since time immemorial man has tried to improve upon teaching methods so that students can become more proficient. Biopsy slides of pathology have been difficult for medical students to understand and comprehend since a long time. The introduction of projection microscope for teaching biopsy slides would go a long way in simplifying the whole process. Methodology: The authors compared the two teaching methods for identifying pathologic lesion in biopsy slides. Ninety nine fourth semester undergraduate students were divided into two groups with group A having fifty students and group B having forty nine students. The period of our study of four months was divided into two, two month period. In the first two months group B was made the test group and taught biopsy slides using projection microscope and group A was made control group and was taught by conventional method (atlas, chalk and board). To avoid any form of bias, in the second two months their roles were reversed so that group A was made the test group and group B was made the control group. Result: After each two month OSPE was held and marks recorded. At the end of four month period a survey was taken from students and faculty in a feedback form based on Likert scale. In this survey it was found that ninety percent (90%) of the students and faculty were of the view that visual aided method of teaching was superior to conventional method of teaching biopsy slides. In the OSPE the group which underwent visual method of teaching scored higher than the group which underwent conventional method of teaching even after swapping of their roles after two months. Discussion: Teaching tools using two or more senses is superior to teaching with one sense only. This is specially true while using visual and auditory method of teaching which accounts for 88% of our learning. Here we have made good use of visual aid in form of projection microscope to teach and explain the morphologic features of pathologic lesion in a biopsy slide.