Kumar Rakesh K, Freeman Brian, Velan Gary M, De Permentier Patrick J
Department of Pathology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Anat Rec B New Anat. 2006 Jul;289(4):128-33. doi: 10.1002/ar.b.20105.
The new medicine program at the University of New South Wales employs scenario-based learning with vertically integrated classes of year 1 and year 2 students, as well as horizontally integrated teaching with no discipline-specific courses. Coinciding with its introduction, we undertook comprehensive revision of the approach to teaching microscopic anatomy and pathology. We designed practical classes around virtual slides, which are high-magnification digital images of tissue sections stored in a multiresolution file format, viewable in a Web browser in a manner closely simulating conventional microscopy. In these classes, we integrated the teaching of histology and histopathology, introducing students to the microscopic features of tissues and organs, and giving them the opportunity to compare and contrast the normal with the abnormal in various disease states. Members of academic staff from both anatomy and pathology were present to promote discussion and respond to questions. Worksheets defined learning objectives and provided clinical cases as contexts for learning in each class. Evaluation revealed that students strongly supported the integrated approach. The efficiency of the teaching method meant that it was possible to work through 5-8 virtual slides per 2-hr class without difficulty. Students displayed considerable initiative in exploring the histological features of tissues, identifying the changes in various pathological states, and recognizing their relationship to clinical manifestations. We believe that the approach we have developed should help to minimize the potential adverse impact of curriculum reform on the teaching of morphology, while ensuring that learning remains both meaningful and interesting.
新南威尔士大学的新药课程采用基于情景的学习方式，将一年级和二年级学生进行纵向整合授课，同时采用横向整合教学，不设特定学科课程。在引入该课程的同时，我们对微观解剖学和病理学的教学方法进行了全面修订。我们围绕虚拟切片设计实践课程，虚拟切片是存储在多分辨率文件格式中的组织切片的高倍数字图像，可在网络浏览器中以非常接近传统显微镜观察的方式查看。在这些课程中，我们整合了组织学和组织病理学的教学，向学生介绍组织和器官的微观特征，让他们有机会在各种疾病状态下比较和对照正常与异常情况。解剖学和病理学的学术人员都参与其中，促进讨论并回答问题。工作表明确了学习目标，并提供临床病例作为每堂课学习的背景。评估显示学生们强烈支持这种整合式教学方法。这种教学方法的效率意味着在每两小时的课程中轻松完成5 - 8张虚拟切片的教学是可行的。学生们在探索组织的组织学特征、识别各种病理状态下的变化以及认识这些变化与临床表现的关系方面表现出了相当大的主动性。我们相信，我们所开发的这种方法应有助于将课程改革对形态学教学的潜在不利影响降至最低，同时确保学习既有意义又有趣。
