Student perceptions of online and in-person microbiology laboratory experiences in undergraduate medical education

摘要

Background: Universities are facing increased budget constraints, often resulting in reducedfunds to support microbiology laboratories. Online mock laboratory activities are ofteninstituted as a cost-effective alternative to traditional wet labs for medical students.Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine students’ perceptions of online and in-person microbiology lab learning experiences.Design: We investigated undergraduate medical student perception of the in-person andonline microbiology lab experience; 164 first-year medical students participated in newlydesigned 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.Results: In terms of student self-reported learning styles, those students who attended thelab in person were more likely to report a tactile learning style (33% vs 16%) while thosestudents who learned the material online reported a visual learning style preference (77% vs61%; n = 264). Students felt that the online microbiology lab was more convenient for theirschedules 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 educatedstudents 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-laboratoryenvironment.Conclusions: Our findings suggest that, while students are strongly supportive of digitalonline lab activities, the overwhelming majority of students still report a desire for a blend ofonline and in-person, hands-on laboratory activities. These findings will further researchdirected towards student perception of the lab experience and aid in the adaptation ofmicrobiology curriculums to accommodate both student and university needs.