Teaching immunology laboratory techniques in a course without a lab component using Journal of Visualized Experiments Immunology and Infection, a peer-reviewed scientific journal published in video format

Abstract

Abstract Teaching an undergraduate immunology course without a lab component has many challenges. Firstly, a complicated subject must be taught in about half the number of contact hours. Chiefly, the opportunity to reinforce concepts learned from the instructional setting (e.g. classroom, online module, or in situ teaching) by performing hands-on experimentation is absent. An assignment was devised which required students to read an article published in the Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE) Immunology and Infection and watch the companion video. JoVE publishes peer-reviewed detailed experimental techniques in a visual format. Guidelines for critically analyzing a scientific text were provided and students were asked to do a close reading and post questions to an LMS discussion board, which the instructor used to implement the Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT) method. The assignment was discussed in class by beginning with a list of unfamiliar acronyms and jargon. This provided a starting point for an interactive discussion of the key immunology concepts (e.g. chemotaxis) which was an excellent alternative to a standard lecture. Next, the class watched the video which was paused periodically to address questions posted to the discussion board. An end of discussion assignment was given for students to compare/contrast protein analysis from traditional SDS-PAGE/western blotting to a single-cell, chip-based western blot. Students critically read the literature and learned standard and cutting-edge experimentation/instrumentation in a course without a separate laboratory component. Overall, the use of a visual journal article from JoVE and JiTT led to an interactive, engaging discussion that received positive feedback from students.