Evaluation of an adaptive virtual laboratory environment using Western Blotting for diagnosis of disease
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: Providing large numbers of undergraduate students in scientific disciplines with engaging, authentic laboratory experiences is important, but challenging. Virtual laboratories (vLABs) are a potential means to enable interactive learning experiences. A vLAB focusing on Western Blotting was developed and implemented in a 3rd year undergraduate Pathology course for science students to facilitate learning of technical molecular laboratory skills that are linked to development of diagnostic skills. Such skills are important for undergraduates in building a conceptual understanding of translation of laboratory techniques to changes in human biology due to disease. METHODS: The Western Blotting vLAB was developed and deployed using the Adaptive eLearning Platform (AeLP) developed by Smart Sparrow (https://www.smartsparrow.com/). The vLAB was evaluated to assess students' perceptions of their laboratory skills relevant to the diagnosis of Muscular Dystrophy. A blended learning rotation model was applied in which wet laboratory and vLAB environments for Western Blotting were both delivered to three consecutive cohorts of 3rd year science undergraduates undertaking a Muscle Diseases practical class. Evaluation questionnaires were administered at the completion of the practical classes. RESULTS: Students indicated in online questionnaires that the Western Blotting vLAB was at least equivalent to the real lab in their perceived development of concepts, laboratory skills and diagnosis of disease. CONCLUSIONS: vLABs have great potential for improving students' development of diagnostic skills. Further studies are required to determine the impact of vLABs on student learning.
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Previous research has found that vLABs could increase student knowledge.
“Previous research has found that vLABs could increase student knowledge [21,26].”
From Virtual simulations as preparation for lab exercises: Assessing learning of key laboratory skills in microbiology and improvement of essential non-cognitive skills (2016) · cites this paper as [26]
The Discussion (page unavailable) reports that students perceived improvements in some aspects of understanding after using the vLAB. It also says the study assessed perceptions rather than knowledge or skills objectively, so it does not establish an increase in student knowledge. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredStudents found a vLAB at least as helpful for learning as a real lab, especially for learning application of laboratory methods.
“students found a vLAB at least as helpful for learning as a real lab, especially in relation to learning application of laboratory methods [26]”
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Makransky, G., Thisgaard, M. W., & Gadegaard, H. (2016) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0155895 · Cited by 212 · see citing works
- Authors
- Polly, P., Marcus, N., Maguire, D., Belinson, Z., & Velan, G. M.
- Affiliations
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Polly, Patsie
- Venue
- BMC Medical Education
- Published
- 2014-10-20
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 222-222
- ISSN
- 1472-6920 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4287185
- OpenAlex
- W2079234274
- Cited by
- 59
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 5
- FWCI
- 3.32
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- BMC Medical Education (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UNSWorks (University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- UNSWorks (UNSW Sydney) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Minerva Access (University of Melbourne) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Simulation-Based Education in Healthcare
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Innovations in Medical Education
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Media Technology › Experimental Learning in Engineering
- Keywords
- virtual laboratory, Western blot, adaptive e-learning, diagnostic skills, muscular dystrophy, laboratory skills, blended learning, student perceptions, adaptive learning systems
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Attitude of Health Personnel, Clinical Competence, Computer-Assisted Instruction, Education, Medical, Undergraduate, Feedback, Female, Humans, Male, Muscular Dystrophies, Surveys and Questionnaires, Software Design, User-Computer Interface, Blotting, Western, Cohort Studies, Young Adult, Pathology, Molecular
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