Significance of Actually Drawing Microscopic Images and Its Impact on Students’ Understanding of Histology

Abstract

Objective: To explore the impact of drawing on students’ understanding of histology. To determine if students who draw images can score better than those who do not.

Study design: Quasi experimental.

Place and duration of study: Histology Laboratory, Department of Anatomy, Shifa College of Medicine, Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University, from January 2017 to September 2017.

Methods: This histological study was carried out during the Endocrinology and reproduction module (ENR) in January, 2017. There students were divided into two groups, A and B of 50 students assigned by random sampling. During the first half of the module Group A drew the microscopic image of the slide in the practical notebook as a normal practice. Group B was shown images only and the task of drawing the images in the practical note book was excluded. At the end of four weeks MCQ paper of 50 questions of higher order thinking to check their concepts of applied histology was given to students. For the next half of the module the groups were flipped over by a cross-over design and Group A only saw the microscopic image and Group B drew the histological image. A second test of MCQs of higher level of application of knowledge was given at the end of four weeks.