A curly conundrum came to the attention of Dr Alexander Engel while he was a lecturer in Anatomy & Physiology at Charles Darwin University – one which brought to light the topical issue of online delivery of pracs and labs in bioscience courses.
The problem was this: one of his online undergraduate bioscience students was applying for a post-graduate physiotherapy course. But one pre-requisite cast dark clouds over this student’s ambitions: the Musculoskeletal Anatomy pre-requisite conditions clearly stated: ‘cannot be an online unit‘ and ‘must include wet lab/cadaveric content‘. For this online student, their chosen mode of undergraduate study suddenly became a hurdle to their graduate study goals.
While online study has become a key blended learning component across higher education, perhaps we’re not yet all on the same page when it comes to the value of online delivery of practical work in biosciences.
Moving online – by choice and by necessity
Let’s revisit a familiar scene during COVID-19 lockdowns: dining tables became desks, chat rooms became classrooms, and for our bioscience students loungerooms became labs. When online delivery was thrust upon all disciplines, prac requirements had to swiftly follow suit with this blended learning approach. Multimedia resources of textbooks like Tortora’s Principles of Anatomy & Physiology filled an immediate gap, providing online interactive activities to engage bioscience students.
Of course, in a nation with more students opting to learn remotely, Australia already had biosciences courses being delivered online.
In fact, some courses no longer run hands-on labs at all for first-year Anatomy and Physiology, even if they have both on-campus and online cohorts. Consider Dr Engel’s cohort in the Northern Territory: 250 on-campus students in Darwin and 700 students studying online. The size of his online cohort means if he offers face-to-face options, he would disadvantage the online students that live in regional communities.
What do online pracs and labs look like in bioscience?
As a lecturer in Anatomy and Physiology and co-author of the newest edition of Tortora’s Principles of Anatomy and Physiology, Dr Engel suggests the following 5 L’s when teaching online students:
Learning through mini-lectures
Short engaging video content of the practical task or lab task being performed by others
Learning through observation
Lecturers and lab technicians filming onsite for students to watch; for example, examining a cadaver in the wet lab.
Learning through engagement
Interactive practical tasks that utilise media resources provided in Tortora’s multimedia library.
Learning in a virtual setting
Virtual reality options will increase as technology becomes more accessible.
Learning through self-investigation
Instructional activities that students can do by themselves, such as discovering how osmosis works with a slice of cucumber.
The challenges of online pracs and labs: learning outcomes
There are some challenges to prac work in the online environment. Dr Hayley Green, Senior Lecturer in Human Anatomy and Forensic Anthropology at Western Sydney University, recognises the need for online options, but say it’s just as important that students have the option of face-to-face delivery.
Dr Green highlighted some challenges that bioscience instructors have encountered:
- While comprehensive, advanced technology exists to assess a human body and explore the anatomy of a cadaver, sometimes contextualising Anatomy and Physiology requires experiencing the sights, smells and sounds – something difficult to simulate in an online experience.
- There are benefits to in-person collaborative clinical education that are hard to replicate. Clinical problem-solving, real-time communication with lab technicians and prac instructors, the opportunity to get immediate feedback and hear other people ask questions are just a few. First Year students may find it hard to establish these skills in self-directed asynchronous learning – and bioscience subjects are already quite overwhelming in terms of content.
Let’s not forget about our student’s sticky issue of prerequisites that preclude online labs. Dr Green is also an Academic Course Adviser – she reminds students to always be mindful of entry requirements. If students want their course to be a stepping stone to another, then their choice of units, specialisations and even delivery mode can be a barrier or an asset to their graduate pathway.
The benefits of online pracs and labs: students love it
Students love the convenience, flexibility and control over the pace of their learning when offered online options. It works in with life – and we certainly have adjusted our work-life balance perceptions during COVID-19.
Students also have the benefit of the ability to re-visit the online prac content at any time, and connect to the content at times that suit their learning style. Students can also collaborate digitally, meaning they can come together when it’s convenient, rather than prescribed by a lab timetable.
The key to ensuring the benefits outweigh the challenges may lie in the technology and multimedia resources we use. Quality media content gives students the best opportunity to thrive in a blended learning environment. The interactive and engaging media resources in Tortora’s Principles of Anatomy and Physiology naturalises and facilitates blended learning as more solutions are developed for delivering pracs and labs online in bioscience courses.
About Alexander Engel and Hayley Green:
Alexander Engel is a Lecturer in Exercise Physiology and Rehabilitation, focussing mainly on musculoskeletal rehabilitation at the University of Canberra and has previously coordinated and taught the Anatomy and Physiology units at Charles Darwin University. Alexander completed a Bachelor of Exercise Physiology at the University of NSW in 2016 and worked as an Accredited Exercise Physiologist treating musculoskeletal injuries and conditions since then. Alexander enjoys engaging and empowering students to take the content of study and apply it to their chosen careers. He is an active member of Exercise and Sports Science Australia and the Australian Strength and Conditioning Association.
Hayley Green is a Senior Lecturer in Human Anatomy and Forensic Anthropology at Western Sydney University. She holds a BSc (Anatomy and Histology) from the University of Sydney and a BSc (Hons) and PhD from the University of New South Wales. Hayley has more than 10 years’ experience designing and delivering anatomy programs for postgraduate Medical and undergraduate Health Science and Medical Science degrees. She has a passion for teaching first-year undergraduate students and making the study of human anatomy engaging and enjoyable. Hayley is also active in the promotion of medical and forensic science in primary and secondary schools and has an interest in science communication.
More Information
Wiley’s newest edition of Tortora’s Principles of Anatomy and Physiology will be released ready for use in Semester 1, 2022.
If you would like to know more about Principles of Anatomy and Physiology, 3rd Asia-Pacific Edition or any of Wiley’s titles, please reach out to your local Wiley Consultant or request a desk copy today.
