Teaching Developmental Biology in BrasilDevelopmental Biology, more than other disciplines, has had difficulty in finding a comfortable niche in the curricula of biology and medical

Teaching Developmental Biology in Brasil

Luiz Violin Universidade Estadual de Campinas

[email protected]

Different Approaches to Teaching Developmental Biology

Luis Antonio Violin PereiraSuzana Guimarães Moraes

Department of Histology and EmbryologyInstitute of Biology – State University of Campinas (UNICAMP)

Campinas, Brazil


Institute of BiologyState University of Campinas (UNICAMP)Department of Histology and Embryology

WHY SHOULD WE STUDY AND TEACH DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY ?

The structural sequence of development of the body (morphogenesis)

Evolutionary aspects

Embryotechnology: stem cells, organ regeneration, assisted reproduction, cloning, fetal surgery

Mechanisms of birth defects


WHY IS THE TEACHING OF DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY SO DIFFICULT?

Dramatic explosion of knowledge and complexity in developmental biology

Developmental textbooks use static 2D images to illustrate development

Developmental Biology explores dynamic processes (4D)

There are only a few incomplete animations on the market

How much of developmental biology (new) vs. embryology (old) should be presented without overwhelming

the students with details?

TOPIC 1A Survey of the Disciplines Related to Developmental Biology

Offered in Undergraduate Courses of Biology and Medicine in Brazil

TOPIC 2An Example of an Approach Used to Teach Human Embryology at

UNICAMP


A Survey of the Disciplines Related to Developmental Biology offered in Undergraduate Courses of Biology and Medicine in Brazil


IntroductionDevelopmental Biology, more than other disciplines, has had difficulty in finding a comfortable niche in the curricula of biology and medical undergraduate courses

ObjectiveThe first goal was to determine the profiles of the disciplines related to developmental biology The second goal was to establish the minimum content for such disciplines in undergraduate courses of medicine and biology

Sample and DesignThe electronic addresses of instructors involved in disciplines related to Developmental Biology were obtained from a list maintained by the Brazilian Group of Developmental Biology

InstrumentAll participants received an electronic message with a login and password that provided a link to a website questionnaire that was to be answered by the coordinator of the corresponding discipline

Data AnalysisThe mean values for the questions were expressed as a percentage of the total number of participants that answered the questionnaire. The comments on the open-ended questions were subjected to content analysis in which words, phrases and sentences were grouped in categories

Results and Discussion

Participants in the Survey of Disciplines Related to Developmental Biology in Undergraduate Courses of Biology and Medicine in Brazil


19

19

19

57

Returned - Wrong mail

No replies

Replies

E-mails sent

1 (Optional)4Developmental Biology

61Module (Embryology)

19Embryology

MedicineBiology

Existence of Disciplines Related to Developmental Biology in Undergraduate Courses of Biology and Medicine in Brazil


Biology Medicine

Embryology PhD: 70%Post-Doc: 30%

PhD: 72%Post-Doc: 14%

MSc: 14%

Developmental Biology Post-doc: 100% Post-doc: 100%

Instructor’s Level of Training in Disciplines Related to Developmental Biology


Discipline Content for Disciplines Related to Developmental Biology


Developmental Biology: 100%

Classic Embryology and Developmental Biology: 50%General Comparative Embryology: 25%Human Embryology: 25%

Developmental Biology

General Human Embryology: 100%Systematic Human Embryology: 71%

General Comparative Embryology: 56%General Embryology: 44%Systematic Embryology: 22%

Embryology

MedicineBiology

Number of Lectures in Disciplines Related to Developmental Biology in Undergraduate Courses of Biology and Medicine


30h65h (30 – 108)Developmental Biology

68h (36 – 120)63h (30 – 108)Embryology

MedicineBiology

Range in parentheses

1226 (33)Developmental Biology

75 (40 – 110)39 (20 – 50)Embryology

MedicineBiology

Class Sizes in Disciplines Related to Developmental Biology


Range in parentheses

Semesters in which Disciplines Related to Developmental Biology are offered


2nd – 6th : 100% (optional)

3rd year: 75%1st year: 25%


1st year: 72%1st - 2nd year: 14%1st - 2nd year: 14%

2nd year: 60% 1st year: 30%3rd year: 10%

Embryology

MedicineBiology

Embryology: 100%Cell Biology: 100%Histology: 100%

None: 25%Cell Biology: 75%Molecular Biology: 50%Embryology: 50%Genetics: 25%Vertebrate Zoology: 25%Histology: 25%Anatomy: 25%


None: 57%Cell Biology: 43%Histology: 29%Biochemistry: 14%

None: 44%Cell Biology: 44%Histology: 33%Anatomy: 11% Biochemistry: 11%Genetics: 11%Molecular Biology: 11%Ecology: 11%Evolution: 11%Invertebrate Zoology: 11%

Embryology

MedicineBiology

Prerequisites for Disciplines Related to Developmental Biology


Wolpert: 100%Gilbert: 100%Larsen: 100%Moore: 100%

None: 25%Wolpert: 50%Gilbert: 25%Moore: 25%Langman: 25%


Moore: 43%Carlson: 29%Langman: 14%Larsen: 14%

Gilbert: 38%Moore: 38%Wolpert: 13%Houillon: 13%Carlson: 13%Langman: 13%Garcia: 13%

Embryology

MedicineBiology

Textbooks Used in Disciplines Related to Developmental Biology


Yes: 100%Yes: 75%No: 25%Developmental Biology

Yes: 100%Yes: 90%No: 10%Embryology

MedicineBiology

Practical Classes in Disciplines Related to Developmental Biology


Histology of chicken and human embryosHomeotic mutations in Drosophila

Preparation and analysis of sea urchin, chicken, fish and other embryos – macro and microscopic analysisDevelopment of a practical research projectMake styrofoam and plasticine modelsAnalysis of 3D models and videos


Histology of chicken, sea urchin and human embryos, fetuses and gonadsMacroscopic analysis of human embryos, fetuses and placenta3D modelsPainting drawings of embryos and fetusesSeminarsDialogue displays of malformations clinical cases

Histological sections: 100%sea urchin, chicken, insect, fish, amphibian, reptile,human (normal and abnormal)

Incubation of eggs, with monitoring of developmental stages using histological sections Total mountsVideos: 26%3D Models: 13%

Embryology

MedicineBiology

Practical Activities in Disciplines Related to Developmental Biology


No answerInsufficient technical support and monitors to prepare material for practical classes

Large class size


Insufficient permanent material for teaching Insufficient microscopes and laboratory facilities

Insufficient number of movies and computers

Large class size

Students have difficulties in correlating 2D and 3D images

Insufficient permanent material for teaching Insufficient microscopes and laboratory facilities

Insufficient number of movies and computers

Large class size

Embryology

MedicineBiology

Main Difficulties Encountered in Practical Activities inDisciplines Related to Developmental Biology


CONCLUSIONSuggestions and Comments

for Disciplines Related to Developmental Biology


Students have difficulties in accepting DB

Students have difficulties in multidisciplinary thinking

Classic embryology should be a prerequisite for BD

Difficulties in establishing correlations between morphogenesis and the molecular mechanisms involved in development


Should have clinical correlations

Too few lectures

More multidisciplinary approaches

Systematic embryology must be taught

Difficult to correlate classic embryology and DB

Too much content and limited number of lectures

How to present DB in an attractive way?

Few books of comparative embryology

Embryology should be prerequisite to DB

Definition of prerequisite for BD

Difficult to use of computers and 3D models

Embryology

MedicineBiology

TOPIC 1A Survey of the Disciplines Related to Developmental Biology

Offered in Undergraduate Courses of Biology and Medicine in Brazil

TOPIC 2An Example of an Approach Used to Teach Human Embryology at

UNICAMP


An Example of an Approach Used to Teach Human Embryology at UNICAMP


IntroductionEmbryology has a multidisciplinary approach and explores dynamic processes (4-D) that make it difficult to teach and learn

ObjectiveTo use multimedia approaches to create new teaching material and ensure a strong integration among different areas

Sample and DesignThe lectures in embryology covered 50 h that included general embryology (24 h) and embryology of the body systems (36 h).Part I (1.5 h): explanation of the development of the body’s structures Part II (1.5 h): presentation of the clinical history and macro- and microscopic images of selected clinical cases; the students were encouraged to find and discuss the malformations and their diagnosis.Part III: the students were stimulated to attend an extra-class activity (software-based study)The data were obtained from 110 first-year medical students enrolled in 2004

InstrumentAt the end of the discipline, the teaching material and method were evaluated using questionnaires, interviews and exam questions

Data AnalysisThe mean values for questions was expressed as percentage of participants that answered the questionnaireThe comments on the open-ended questions were subjected to content analysis in which words, phrases and sentences were grouped in categories

Results and Discussion

STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS - Questionnaire

Media

3,49

3,14

3,59

3,61

3,69

3,67

3,45

3,20

3,70

3,57

2,53

3,85

2,99

1,00 2,00 3,00 4,00

Structural aspects

Presentation

Evaluation of the contents

Evaluation of the course content

Evaluation of the methodology

Aplicability of the methodology

Social aspects

Activities to be added

Aplicability of this methodology in other teaching modules

Psychological aspects

Availability of material

Material

Softw are and monitoring

Media


STUDENTS´ OPINIONS ABOUT THE DISCIPLINE OF EMBRYOLOGY - INTERVIEW

“The clinical cases highlight the importance of embryology”

“The theory needs to be understood in order to understand the clinical cases”

“The animations are essential for understanding human embryology”

“It would be very good if other disciplines also used educational software”

“Embryology is the only discipline to successfully integrate basic and clinical areas”


Braz J Morphol Sci (2004) 21(3), 117-123http://libdigi.unicamp.br/document/?code=10004

Developmental Biology (by Scott Gilbert) may be the first science textbook to have a website and an interactive guide (CD-ROM)

The seventh edition of Developmental Biology starts with a chapter on the medical implications of developmental biology


The student’s responses demonstrate that the software is used extensively and is

considered useful for learning human embryology and morphogenesis of birth

defects

We have noticed an increase in class participation, enhanced comprehension,

and a new found enthusiasm for embryology

Teaching human embryology in a multimedia and multidisciplinary approach

proved useful for solving and important difficulty associated with teaching methods

in many medical institutions, namely, the lack of integration between basic and

clinical disciplines

Could correlating normal and abnormal embryogenesis with

developmental biology provide an ideal approach for teaching this subject?


An Example of an Approach Used to Teach Human Embryology at UNICAMP

CONCLUSION

Different Approaches to Teaching �Developmental Biology Different Approaches to Teaching Developmental Biology Different Approaches to Teaching Developmental Biology Different Approaches to Teaching Developmental Biology Different Approaches to Teaching Developmental Biology Different Approaches to Teaching Developmental Biology Different Approaches to Teaching Developmental Biology Different Approaches to Teaching Developmental Biology Different Approaches to Teaching Developmental Biology Different Approaches to Teaching Developmental Biology Different Approaches to Teaching Developmental Biology Different Approaches to Teaching Developmental Biology Different Approaches to Teaching Developmental Biology Different Approaches to Teaching Developmental Biology Different Approaches to Teaching Developmental Biology Different Approaches to Teaching Developmental Biology Different Approaches to Teaching Developmental Biology Different Approaches to Teaching Developmental Biology Different Approaches to Teaching Developmental Biology Different Approaches to Teaching Developmental Biology Different Approaches to Teaching Developmental Biology Different Approaches to Teaching Developmental Biology

Documents

Teaching Developmental Biology in BrasilDevelopmental Biology, more than other disciplines, has had difficulty in finding a comfortable niche in the curricula of biology and medical