JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Technological innovation has brought medical education into a new era. Various new technologies have been applied to improve the quality of medical student training, with digital technology being the most anticipated. Microscopy technology, a fundamental skill for medical students, is crucial for future clinical diagnoses and requires sufficient laboratory practice to enable students to accurately judge lighting, focus, and morphological features. However, the inability to visualize microscope operations presents a significant challenge in microscope teaching. To address this issue, a digital microscopy interactive system has been introduced in the biology course at Tongji University in China.

Objective:

This article aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the digital microscope interactive system introduced in the biology course at Tongji University by studying its impact on students' academic performance and learning experience.

Methods:

A total of 39 students enrolled in the biology course were randomly assigned to two groups: one utilizing traditional optical microscopes (control) and the other using the digital microscopy interactive system (DMIS). Their academic performance was evaluated through a knowledge test and three laboratory reports. Additionally, participants were surveyed regarding their perceptions of the DMIS and the laboratory lectures.

Results:

In the knowledge test, no statistical difference was found between the two groups; however, the DMIS group scored significantly higher in Lecture 2 (P<0.05). In the laboratory reports, the DMIS group performed significantly better than the control group (90.33±2.63 versus 80.53±3.52, P<0.0001). Questionnaire results indicated that the DMIS group have a positive evaluation of the system and expressed greater confidence in its future application. For the evaluation of the laboratory lectures, DMIS group had higher evaluation on the course content and self-efficacy (P<0.05), and higher satisfaction with the laboratory lectures (P<0.05).

Conclusions:

Overall, the digital microscope interactive system enhances students' learning experiences and improves their academic performance. It offers various interactive functions to facilitate the organization of teaching activities and promote immediate feedback in the classroom. Thus, it is a promising tool for microscopy laboratory teaching.