A flipped classroom approach to teaching oral pathology using virtual microscopy – the glasgow experience

Many of us will recall, as students, the horrors of undergraduate histology and histopathology practical classes. The frequent difficulties of identifying cell types and understanding tissue structures reflected, to a large extent, the lack of suitable educational tools for tutors faced with large classes of students who were supplied only with traditional microscopes and glass slides. Thankfully, technological advances have permitted dramatic improvements in the teaching of these subjects, particularly with the advent of virtual microscopy in which histological specimens are scanned to provide virtual slides that can be stored and shared over computer networks. These images can be viewed independently on any computer that has internet access and the user has the full functionality of a traditional microscope (movement around the slide and multiple magnifications) through the computer. Modern technologies ensure that virtual slides have a high resolution and they are resistant to damage or breakage. Other advantages include the removal of a need for access to a traditional microscopy suite, improving student access to histological materials and reducing maintenance costs for teaching institutions.