Department of Dermatology, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), Portland, OR, USA.
College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, Clinton Twp, MI, USA.
Med Educ Online. 2020 Dec;25(1):1710324. doi: 10.1080/10872981.2019.1710324.
: Universities are facing increased budget constraints, often resulting in reduced funds to support microbiology laboratories. Online mock laboratory activities are often instituted as a cost-effective alternative to traditional wet labs for medical students.: The purpose of this study was to examine students' perceptions of online and in-person microbiology lab learning experiences.: We investigated undergraduate medical student perception of the in-person and online microbiology lab experience; 164 first-year medical students participated in newly designed online labs, while 83 second-year medical students continued to use in-person labs. An online survey was administered to collect student opinions of the lab experience.: In terms of student self-reported learning styles, those students who attended the lab in person were more likely to report a tactile learning style (33% vs 16%) while those students who learned the material online reported a visual learning style preference (77% vs 61%; n = 264). Students felt that the online microbiology lab was more convenient for their schedules when compared to the in-person lab. A greater proportion of online students (12%) felt that they encountered brand-new material on the final quiz than in-person students (1%; n = 245). Even so, 43% of the online educated students and 37% of the in-person educated students perceived their assigned lab experiences to be the optimal lab design, and over 89% of both groups reported a desire for at least some in-person instruction in a wet-laboratory environment.: Our findings suggest that, while students are strongly supportive of digital online lab activities, the overwhelming majority of students still report a desire for a blend of online and in-person, hands-on laboratory activities. These findings will further research directed towards student perception of the lab experience and aid in the adaptation of microbiology curriculums to accommodate both student and university needs.
: 高校面临着预算限制的增加，这通常导致用于支持微生物学实验室的资金减少。在线模拟实验室活动通常作为医学生传统湿实验室的经济有效的替代方案而实施。: 本研究旨在检查学生对在线和现场微生物学实验室学习体验的看法。: 我们调查了本科医学生对现场和在线微生物学实验室体验的看法；164 名一年级医学生参加了新设计的在线实验室，而 83 名二年级医学生继续使用现场实验室。我们进行了在线调查，以收集学生对实验室经验的意见。: 就学生自我报告的学习风格而言，那些亲自参加实验室的学生更有可能报告触觉学习风格（33%比 16%），而那些在线学习材料的学生则报告视觉学习风格偏好（77%比 61%；n=264）。与现场实验室相比，学生认为在线微生物学实验室更方便他们的日程安排。更多的在线学生（12%）认为他们在期末考试中遇到了全新的材料，而现场学生（1%；n=245）则认为他们遇到了全新的材料。即便如此，43%的在线教育学生和 37%的现场教育学生认为他们分配的实验室经验是最佳的实验室设计，超过 89%的学生报告希望至少有一些在实践实验室环境中进行现场指导。: 我们的研究结果表明，虽然学生强烈支持数字在线实验室活动，但绝大多数学生仍报告希望混合在线和现场实践实验室活动。这些发现将进一步研究学生对实验室经验的看法，并有助于适应微生物学课程以满足学生和大学的需求。
