A combined interactive online simulation and face‐to‐face laboratory enable undergraduate student proficiency in hemocytometer use, cell density and viability calculations

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Autori principali: Maurizio Costabile, Sheree Bailey, Gareth Denyer
Natura: Artículo Open Access
Pubblicazione: Wiley 2024
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author Maurizio Costabile
Sheree Bailey
Gareth Denyer
author_facet Maurizio Costabile
Sheree Bailey
Gareth Denyer
Maurizio Costabile
Sheree Bailey
Gareth Denyer
collection Wiley Open Access
contents A combined interactive online simulation and face‐to‐face laboratory enable undergraduate student proficiency in hemocytometer use, cell density and viability calculations Maurizio Costabile Sheree Bailey Gareth Denyer Immunology & Cell Biology AbstractA hemocytometer is a key piece of laboratory equipment typically used in diagnostic and immunology research laboratories to enumerate white blood cells. The accurate quantification of cell density is essential to ensure accurate numbers of cells are added to assays to generate valid data. Hence, learning to correctly use a hemocytometer is a critical skill for all undergraduate immunology students. However, this skill can be challenging to learn because of students’ unfamiliarity with correct cell identification, differentiating viable versus dead cells and mathematical proficiency in calculating cell density and viability. To address these issues, we developed an interactive computer simulation that replicated all aspects of a Neubauer‐style hemocytometer. This simulation was used to teach second‐year undergraduate immunology students before a face‐to‐face (F‐2‐F) laboratory exercise where these skills were applied. Using a mixed methods approach, student performance and feedback were collected on broad aspects of the intervention and its benefits to the F‐2‐F setting. The approach was found to be extremely successful with all measures indicating a significant impact of the virtual hemocytometer on student learning, understanding and confidence. We suggest that integrating an online simulation to teach students the fundamentals of hemocytometer use and calculations is a valuable educational aid for learning this important skill. 10.1111/imcb.12813 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
doi_str_mv 10.1111/imcb.12813
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institution Wiley Open Access
license_str_mv http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
publishDate 2024
publisher Wiley
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spellingShingle A combined interactive online simulation and face‐to‐face laboratory enable undergraduate student proficiency in hemocytometer use, cell density and viability calculations
Maurizio Costabile
Sheree Bailey
Gareth Denyer
Immunology & Cell Biology
A combined interactive online simulation and face‐to‐face laboratory enable undergraduate student proficiency in hemocytometer use, cell density and viability calculations Maurizio Costabile Sheree Bailey Gareth Denyer Immunology & Cell Biology AbstractA hemocytometer is a key piece of laboratory equipment typically used in diagnostic and immunology research laboratories to enumerate white blood cells. The accurate quantification of cell density is essential to ensure accurate numbers of cells are added to assays to generate valid data. Hence, learning to correctly use a hemocytometer is a critical skill for all undergraduate immunology students. However, this skill can be challenging to learn because of students’ unfamiliarity with correct cell identification, differentiating viable versus dead cells and mathematical proficiency in calculating cell density and viability. To address these issues, we developed an interactive computer simulation that replicated all aspects of a Neubauer‐style hemocytometer. This simulation was used to teach second‐year undergraduate immunology students before a face‐to‐face (F‐2‐F) laboratory exercise where these skills were applied. Using a mixed methods approach, student performance and feedback were collected on broad aspects of the intervention and its benefits to the F‐2‐F setting. The approach was found to be extremely successful with all measures indicating a significant impact of the virtual hemocytometer on student learning, understanding and confidence. We suggest that integrating an online simulation to teach students the fundamentals of hemocytometer use and calculations is a valuable educational aid for learning this important skill. 10.1111/imcb.12813 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
title A combined interactive online simulation and face‐to‐face laboratory enable undergraduate student proficiency in hemocytometer use, cell density and viability calculations
topic Immunology & Cell Biology
url https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/imcb.12813