Engaging students by emphasising botanical concepts over techniques: innovative practical exercises using virtual microscopy

Abstract

Student interest in botany and enrolment in plant sciences courses tends to be low compared to that in other biological disciplines. One potential way of increasing student interest in botany is to focus on course material designed to raise student enthusiasm and satisfaction. Here, we introduce and evaluate virtual microscopy in botany teaching. Virtual microscopy uses high-resolution digital ‘virtual slides’ that allow students to explore microscope sections without the advanced skills required to prepare glass slides. Questionnaire feedback from students indicated that students found the virtual slides an effective learning tool. Further, we found that student performance in assessments was significantly higher when using virtual slides than when using traditional glass slides. We suggest that virtual slides are an effective tool for increasing student satisfaction in introductory botany courses, and have the potential for increasing student enrolment in higher-level courses (honours) and research degrees.

Keywords:

• biology education
• computer-based education
• digital imaging
• teaching in botany
• virtual microscopy

Acknowledgements

Development of the UNSW Virtual Slide Repository was supported by a grant from the Australian Learning & Teaching Council (CG7-398 “Virtual microscopy for enhancing learning and teaching”). We thank Margaret Dimech, Program Manager for RCPA Quality Assurance Programs Pty Ltd, for her assistance in providing high-quality scanned images.