Michael Hortsch

The introduction of new educational technologies into resource‐challenged learning environments is often hindered by several factors, with the lack of infrastructure and computer hardware being only one critical aspect. The COVID‐19 pandemic required a sudden switch to online learning and accelerated the implementation of e‐learning approaches worldwide. This study follows the adoption of virtual microscopy (VM) during the COVID‐19 pandemic by medical and dental students at the University of Ghana (UG) for the learning of histology and the changes that were the result of this transformation. Students' awareness and the use of VM resources for their histology education increased significantly over the time of the pandemic. Students who were actively using VM reported a lack of internet access and insufficient promotion by histology teachers as major obstacles for their use of this educational technology. Although they attributed many advantages to VM as a histology learning tool, more than 90% of UG students advocated for the combined use of traditional and virtual microscopy during histology laboratory sessions. Students who did not use VM mostly blamed a lack of hardware devices, internet access, and technical knowledge for not making use of VM. In summary, although medical and dental students voiced strong support for the implementation of this e‐learning technology, a combination of factors including infrastructural limitations and a reluctance by teaching and administration staff might hinder the implementation of VM in a resource‐challenged learning environment like at the UG.

The four main anatomical sciences, gross anatomy, histology, neuroanatomy, and embryology, are fundamental subjects for most health professionals and biomedical students. Usually taught as part of preclinical basic science training, the anatomical sciences provide a structural understanding of human or animal bodies at both macroscopic and microscopic levels. This overview characterizes how the anatomical sciences are currently taught around the globe, highlighting similarities, differences, and recent curricular transformations that were partially in response to the COVID‐19 pandemic. Globally, educators of the anatomical sciences navigate similar pressures, including expectations of curricular integration and reduced time for anatomical teaching. Student‐centered teaching approaches and e‐learning technologies have been adopted across many regions, transforming how educators engage their learners. However, not all educators are provided with technological resources to facilitate such educational advancements, particularly in regions where economic inequality and poor infrastructure hinder access to the internet. Though ethical standards guiding the procurement of human bodies have evolved over time, the sources of human bodies that academic institutions use for anatomy education vary widely. Specific regional issues complicate many aspects of anatomical science education, challenging educators to adopt novel teaching approaches. Despite some differences, every global region appears to be moving in a similar direction. However, where academic institutions fall on that trajectory differs for specific regions/countries. How these educational and technological changes influence anatomy education should be carefully considered for the strengths and weaknesses they provide and the opportunities and threats they bring.

To solidify their power over society, totalitarian regimes will usually eliminate any dissent, any perceived threats early on. These threats include not only political enemies but also educated and independent segments of society, such as professional associations. In addition, totalitarian regimes often create societal scapegoats to unify popular support. In 1933, immediately after Hitler's rise to power, the Nazi regime in Germany followed this pattern. One of the Nazis' initial targets was educational institutions and professional societies, subjugating them to ensure they could no longer serve as sources of opposition or resistance. In this review, the fate of a Jewish physician and researcher, Dr. Hans Kohn, exemplifies this takeover of all aspects of German society by the Nazi regime. He is known for discovering interalveolar pores as normal anatomical structures in the lung tissue (Pores of Kohn) and was a long‐serving member of the Berlin Medical Society, holding a leadership position as its librarian until 1933. Despite his own conservative political views, he suffered persecution by the Nazi regime, as a Jew and elected leader of the Berlin Medical Society, but also as a relative of a communist party official. There was a wide range of reactions by members of the Berlin Medical Society to this political takeover. Some members were victims like Hans Kohn; others were active opponents or perpetrators, with many being compliant.

Introduction With e-learning resources and strategies claiming an increasing role in medical education, the question arises how students in developing countries and from socioeconomic disadvantaged strata of society deal with access challenges and what aspects affect their use of e-learning resources. This study’s goal was to investigate the impact of the socioeconomic background on study habits and technology access for students at a public university in Brazil, who participated in histology courses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A transversal, descriptive study with a quantitative approach was carried out with nursing, pharmacy, and biology students at the University of International Integration of the Afro-Brazilian Lusophony (UNILAB). The survey questions asked about socioeconomic aspects, histology study habits, and learning resources used for studying histology. Results Of the 72 participating students, a majority was female and single, and had a minimum wage income or less. Smartphones and portable computers were preferred devices to access the internet. YouTube videos were a popular resource for histology learning. A significant association between an increased number of histology study hours without internet use was found for students, whose parents had lower education levels. When comparing learning outcomes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, all types of students showed significantly higher histology examination scores for the online only modus. Conclusions As students’ average academic performance improved during the COVID-19 pandemic, the presented data suggest that despite some access limitations, e-learning approaches may offer an equalizing opportunity for students from lower socioeconomic groups.

Assessment of learners in the anatomical sciences is a complex task as it not only tests students' fact knowledge, but also the analysis of visual information. Sometimes, novice histology learners must acquire image recognition skills of microscopic structures in a short time frame. This paper describes a strategy of offering first year dental students at the University of Michigan a short, non‐grade contributing, formative assessment quiz in order to better prepare them for a high‐stakes, final summative histology examination. Data collected over 7 years indicate that students, who made use of this formative assessment opportunity, performed significantly better in their summative examination than students, who did not. Especially early practice quiz users profited most. Students, who used the practice quiz until they achieved a perfect score, also had statistically higher final examination scores. Students, who did not use the practice quiz, had a significantly lower cumulative D1‐year Grade Point Average (D1‐GPA) than students, who did, indicating that academically weaker students often underuse supporting learning resources. In general, scores from the Dental Admission Test (DAT) were weak predictors of learning success in the DENT 510 histology course. In contrast, the D1‐GPA values had a medium strength positive correlation with final histology examination scores. The major problem that was encountered with this practice quiz strategy was that many students waited until close to the day of the final examination before taking advantage of this feedback opportunity, thereby reducing its potential benefit for improving their overall learning strategy for histology.

Traditional academic lectures have long been criticized as providing a passive learning environment to students. Often, they do not capture the audience's attention, resulting in learners being distracted or bored and thereby reducing their learning efficacy. Consequently, they are being abandoned by many schools and universities as an educational modus or modified into more learner‐centered experiences. This descriptive article outlines a strategy of inserting active learning PowerPoint slides into traditional histology lectures. Suggestions and advice for adding or improving existing active learning slides are being offered to readers, who are planning to modify their own lecture presentations. The author's experience of using this formative assessment strategy with different types of histology learners is also discussed.

Histology or microanatomy is the science of the structure and function of tissues and organs in metazoic organisms at the cellular level. By definition, histology is dependent on a variety of microscope techniques, usually light or more recently virtual, as well as electron microscopy. Since its inception more than two centuries ago, histology has been an integral component of biomedical education, specifically for medical, dental, and veterinary students. Traditionally, histology has been taught in two sequential phases, first a didactic transfer of information to learners and secondly a laboratory segment in which students develop the skill of analyzing micrographic images. In this chapter, the authors provide an overview of how histology is currently taught in different global regions. This overview also outlines which educational strategies and technologies are used, and how the local and cultural environment influences the histology education of medical and other students in different countries and continents. Also discussed are current trends that change the teaching of this basic science subject. Keywords Histology Microanatomy Medical education Technology-enhanced instruction Microscopy Virtual microscopy

For the last two centuries, the scholarly education of histology and pathology has been based on technology, initially on the availability of low-cost, high-quality light microscopes, and more recently on the introduction of computers and e-learning approaches to biomedical education. Consequently, virtual microscopy (VM) is replacing glass slides and the traditional light microscope as the main instruments of instruction in histology and pathology laboratories. However, as with most educational changes, there are advantages and disadvantages associated with a new technology. The use of VM for the teaching of histology and pathology requires an extensive infrastructure and the availability of computing devices to all learners, both posing a considerable financial strain on schools and students. Furthermore, there may be valid reasons for practicing healthcare professionals to maintain competency in using light microscopes. In addition, some educators may be reluctant to embrace new technologies. These are some of the reasons why the introduction of VM as an integral part of histology and pathology instruction has been globally uneven. This paper compares the teaching of histology and pathology using traditional or VM in five different countries and their adjacent regions, representing developed, as well as developing areas of the globe. We identify general and local roadblocks to the introduction of this still-emerging didactic technology and outline solutions for overcoming these barriers. Keywords Virtual microscopy Histology Medical education Pathology Technology-enhanced instruction