Use of a computer-assisted simulation system in undergraduate education of laboratory technologists

• Published in: Rinsho byori. The Japanese journal of clinical pathology Vol. 55; no. 6; p. 517
• Main Authors: Kubota, Tetsuo, Cho, Yuichiro, Kajiwara, Michiko, Baba, Keiko, Kikuchi, Kumi, Kinoshita, Atsuhiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japan 01.06.2007
• Subjects: Blood Transfusion; Clinical Laboratory Techniques; Computer Simulation; Humans; Medical Laboratory Personnel - education; Teaching; Teaching Materials
• ISSN: 0047-1860

In the undergraduate education of laboratory technologists, practical training courses in a hospital are extremely important to gain knowledge, skills and attitudes. In present laboratories, however, senior technologists have less time for teaching their juniors because of increased demands of hospital tasks. To supplement practical training of students, we therefore decided to employ clinical simulation teaching materials using a computer assisted education system. First, a series of e learning coursewares on laboratory tests for blood transfusion were created using pictures taken during our daily work. The pictures were arranged with questions, answers and commentaries, uploaded to the server in our university, and offered to the students. They were received with high rates of student satisfaction. Since e-learning seemed to be an effective and enjoyable strategy to achieve good learning outcomes, it is desirable to establish an organization to collect peer reviewed high quality e learning materials that can be shared with nationwide educators teaching tomorrow's laboratory technologists.