Embryology Education

Introduction

The "Cloud" Embryology Concept

The very size and dynamic nature of embryonic development has always made it a difficult topic to teach. The structures are always small and the changing nature of development means that a feature you identify at any one time changes and becomes something else at a later stage. Students take some time to come to grips with all the new terminology and the sequence of events. Interestingly, the discipline of embryology was quick utilise each new technology as as they came along to help with understanding development. The internet today is the latest technology which can allow a wide distribution to students to be used at any time and quickly linked to other related topics. This page provides a broad introduction to some of these educational concepts that are covered in detail elsewhere, identified by internet links. I have also included on this page links to meeting presentations that cover specific topics drawing upon the many available resources on this site.

Historically models made from many different media (papier-mâché, ceramic, wax or plastic) not the "animal models" described elsewhere on this site, were very useful in that they make tangible the microscopic structures to the students. Models have been in use for some time in the medical teaching of human development with the original plaster models now replaced by commercial modern plastic versions. Many of the early teaching models were not about development, but about the process of childbirth for doctor and midwife education.

An alternative to the use of teaching models, was the use of plates and drawings found in historic textbooks and papers from the late 19th century onwards. These often beautifully drawn images gave a semi-realistic view of embryo anatomy, often with sections removed to show anatomical relationships or systems drawn in isolation. These early papers often included drawings of histological sections from specific embryos, providing a prelude to later photomicrographs.

At the beginning of the 20th century photography also came into play and can be seen associated with embryo collections, such as the Carnegie and Kyoto collection. These photographic embryo images even today are unique tools in understanding human embryonic development. Animal embryos were far more easy to both obtain and to characterise. The realisation that most developmental processes are conserved across species, just differing in timing, led to growth in "animal models". In particular establishing a staging sequence allowed more consistent comparison of research findings in the literature.

Today there are many teaching and research movies developed to show specific developmental processes. This use of dynamic media most closely links to the dynamics seen in development.

Textbooks

There are many different textbooks that have used in preparing this Embryology resource, that can be found listed on the Textbooks page. I do not intend to endorse any specific textbook other than listing and linking too, those I have seen and/or used. Note that UNSW students also have full access to electronic versions of some textbooks subscribed to through library resources.

| UNSW Library

Embryology Models

Ziegler Model

Models made from many different media (papier-mâché, ceramic, wax or plastic) not the "animal models" described elsewhere on this site, are very useful in that they make tangible the microscopic structures to the students. Models have been in use for some time in the medical teaching of human development with the original plaster models now replaced by commercial modern plastic versions. Many of the early teaching models were not about development, but about the process of childbirth for doctor and midwife education.

A historic alternative to the use of teaching models, were series of plates and drawings found in textbooks and papers from the late 19th century onwards. At the beginning of the 20th century photography also came into play, seen mainly associated with embryos within the Carnegie collection.

LInks: Embryology Models

Movies

Movies

Development is a dynamic process with structures changing (shape, name and relationships) over time and the best way to show this is with dynamic images, such as movies. Movies are generally uploaded in two main formats, Quicktime and Flash, with some simple animations appearing as GIF format.

There are excellent cartoons illustrating developmental processes correlating with concepts students will be learning from textbooks. There are also many movies from research studies in animal models and early human development. In addition, there are sets of prenatal ultrasound and MRI studies as well as postnatal neurological development.

Movie LInks: Movies | Quicktime Movies | Flash Movies | Animation | Category:Quicktime | Category:Flash

Student Teaching Projects

Science students have been preparing online group projects as part of their ANAT2341 Embryology course since 2009. Each year a main topic is selected in consultation with the course coordinator. Each student group (4-5 students) then selects a specific topic within the main theme that they then research and work collaboratively on that topic throughout the semester. The project is then assessed by their peers before being finally edited for submission as their group assessment component for the course.

Medical students have also worked on individual long term projects as part of an Independent Learning Project (ILP) that can be carried out during their undergraduate studies.

1. Science Student Projects | Science
2. Medicine Student Projects | Medicine

Mobile Access

The current website will work for all online access through any browser enabled: desktop, laptop, netbook, iPad, tablet, iPhone and mobile (cell) phone. There are additional options (free applications) for viewing on mobile devices and for viewing content off-line (PDF).

Links: Mobile Access | Cloud Embryology

Cloud Embryology

The "Cloud" Embryology Concept

"Cloud embryology is a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable embryology resources"

This embryology resource has now been online since 1997 and transferred to the new Wiki format in 2009. The 1997 site was purely a website with no interaction available to the reader other than playing and controlling animations. The 2009 site initially was a transfer and reformatting of the original content pages. This was enhanced by addition of quizzes and followed by student online collaborative project work. The next step is now to access of educators from Universities and High Schools to prepare their own online presentations from the vast resources (8,000+ uploaded files) already available on this Embryology website.

LInks: Cloud Embryology

Educational Presentations

1. 2012 Australian and New Zealand Association of Clinical Anatomists (ANZACA) Meeting
2. Medicine Learning and Teaching Forum 2012 - Online Projects
3. 2012 Learning & Teaching Seminar

Meeting Presentations

1. 2013 Australian Sonographers Association (ASA) Meeting
2. 2013 Australian Chapter, American Academy of Craniofacial Pain (AACP) Meeting
3. 2012 Fetal ECHO Meeting

Awards

2012 UNSW Vice-Chancellor’s Awards for Initiatives that Enhance Learning

2011 ALTC Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning

External Links

External Links Notice - The dynamic nature of the internet may mean that some of these listed links may no longer function. If the link no longer works search the web with the link text or name. Links to any external commercial sites are provided for information purposes only and should never be considered an endorsement. UNSW Embryology is provided as an educational resource with no clinical information or commercial affiliation.

Glossary Links

Glossary: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | Numbers | Symbols | Term Link

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Cite this page: Hill, M.A. (2024, May 7) Embryology Embryology Education. Retrieved from https://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/index.php/Embryology_Education

What Links Here?

© Dr Mark Hill 2024, UNSW Embryology ISBN: 978 0 7334 2609 4 - UNSW CRICOS Provider Code No. 00098G