Centre for Bioscience, The Higher Education Academy

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The development and evaluation of an online, interactive (virtual) laboratory exercise in medical microbiology

Project Leader Dr Kenneth Hudson
Organisation The Open University
Contact kmh24@tutor.open.ac.uk
Partners Dr P Butcher, Learning and Teaching Solutions (LTS) and Centre for Open Learning in Mathematics, Science, Computing and Technology (COLMSCT), The Open University
Grant type Teaching Development
Completed In progress

Description

The aim of the project is to develop an online, interactive (virtual) laboratory exercise in medical microbiology. Learners will be ‘provided’ with a number of urine samples from patients with urinary infections. The learners choose the conditions, particularly growth media, under which the samples should be cultured and tested. High quality digital images of the results of the culture, microscopic appearance, gram staining, antibiotic sensitivity and biochemical testing are provided in response to the learners suggestions. A range of images will be provided to cover the most likely suggestions. The interactive programme will provide feedback on all, including help if the suggestions are out of the expected range of results (where no images are available). The learner will make choices at each step of the exercise, with the interactive feedback helping to guide their decision-making, leading to an identification of the infecting bacteria, and their antibiotic sensitivity.

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