2. Problem Trying to Solve
Develop competency in microbiology, cell
biology and genetics.
Adopt the role of professionals in the field.
Conduct virtual investigations of possible
microbial outbreak scenarios.
20. Results/Closing
Increased students retention and success
rate.
Students gain exposure to real life situations.
Students learned the steps required to
complete an accurate diagnosis during health
outbreak situation.
21. * Results/Closing
By using real life scenarios to create a
simulation of contagious disease outbreak,
we helped students understand the
epidemiological aspects of clinical
microbiology.
The difference in comprehension between
students who were taught by using this
methodology and those who were taught
without this methodology was significant.
22. Student’s Feedback
“The scenario made me think about what
kinds of things can influence someone to
become sick, like their environment, what
kind of bacteria or viruses they could have
been exposed to”.
23. Student’s Feedback
“Not having everything "spoon fed" to us when
we got into the scenario had a major impact on
the way I could look at the situation. It was no
longer about the basic pieces of information
that we commonly deal with, but about the
synthesis of many pieces. It came down to
interpretation a lot more than I would have
expected, and that makes it difficult to really
assess a situation”.
24. Student’s Feedback
“It forced you to think more outside the box, in
terms of how a person could come into contact
with microbes during their normal life. It was
very different than working with aseptic
procedures in the lab”.
25. Student’s Feedback
“ Field conditions are much more difficult because
the communication is often on a verbal level and
only mentioned once. One has to have good hearing
and note taking skills, as well as multi-tasking and
being able to concentrate with distractions all
around them. The cases in the field are also not
sterile, quiet, and controlled as they are in the lab.
This means a field agent must be very careful when
arriving to a scene to take extra precautions to
ensure things do not get any more contaminated
or continue to spread”.
