Wogs, bugs and grubs: Hands-on microbiology at home - an Open Learning Australia experience

Microbiology is a very visual subject and necessitates students visualising and working with living microorganisms. For full understanding of concepts and application of knowledge students require hands-on practical experience. Difficulty is often encountered in obtaining clinical material and students are at risk of exposure to potentially pathogenic microorganisms. These risks are even more pronounced when courses are taught externally, especially when providing practical experience for unsupervised students completing microbiology units at home.

This paper describes the development of the theoretical and practical program, the problems encountered and the health, safety and legal issues faced in developing Introductory Microbiology 1A through Open Learning Australia (OLA). The unit with its home-based practical kit is the first of its kind developed for the distance teaching of microbiology in Australia.

Introduction

Open Learning Australia which was established in 1992 is now providing University accredited units to all Australians and international students who wish to participate. Fees charged are equivalent to the HECS contribution paid by traditional university students.

Of the many units now offered through Open Learning Australia, most are print-based but there are audio and video supplements as well as broadcast television components in some areas. All units offered until the end of 1994 were non-science and theoretically based. Introductory Microbiology 1A, offered in the first study period of 1995 by OLA became the first science unit with a hands-on practical component which the students could perform at home.

Microbiology is a very visual subject and requires opportunities for students to view and experiment with living organisms. Practical experience is essential for the understanding of concepts and applications of knowledge to the clinical laboratory and other related areas. The laboratory sessions involve considerable repetitive practical work and difficulty is experienced in the provision of clinical material essential for these practical classes especially with increased potential hazard to students from diseases such as HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis. The problems are even more pronounced when microbiology courses are taught at a distance.

Laboratory based distance education courses usually have a requirement for student attendance at "residentials". However because of the large size of Australia, students can incur large travel costs as well as be incovenienced by the need to take leave from employment and family. When considering the provision of this essential experience for Introductory Microbiology 1A we were faced with the additional problem that this practical component would need to be completed at home.

Past developments

Since 1990, distance education students taking microbiology in the degree nursing program have been able to complete a practically orientated science unit without the need to come onto campus. This was facilitated by our development of the first tertiary accredited telecourse in Australia (Fox & Edwards, 1990). The difficulties of providing a safe and pertinent program for this unit were overcome by students attending a two day work-experience session at the nearest accredited microbiology laboratory.

Further developments have included:

• eight computer-assisted-learning modules (CAL) incorporating problem-solving clinical case studies (Edwards & Fox, 1993a; 1993b).
• a video library of demonstration materials and organisms and
• a Learning management test bank for use by nursing and medical science students (Courtney & Edwards, 1993).

This paper will discuss some of the issues that had to be faced in the development and adaptation of every day materials and equipment for the unit as well as the health and safety issues.

Debatable issues

• the target audience
• costs
• theoretical component delivery options
• the practical component's safety and legal issues.

Target Audience

Costs

Theoretical Component Delivery Options

The choices for delivery were:

• print
• television
• video
• audio
• computer assisted-learning

The University of Southern Queensland had previously developed an external microbiology course without hands-on practical work which incorporated audio-tapes and photographs. However, we found this style of delivery did not satisfy our objectives. After much debate we eventually decided to use a print-based medium revolving around a very good commercial text for the delivery of the theoretical component.

Practical Component

• residential schools which incur high travel and personal costs for the student (Fox & Edwards, 1990).
• a home based experimental kit which perturbed us due to worries of unsupervised students working with pathogenic organisms and the cost of transporting microscopes and equipment to the student as well as the question of disposal of used materials.
• a two day supervised workshop in the student's nearest country laboratory which was the choice we settled for.

On further consideration, we decided to reinvestigate the possibility of developing a home experimental kit with many of the materials being available from the local supermarket and which would have direct relevance to the home environment.

Five practicals are now offered in the unit:

• the ubiquitous nature of microorganisms in our environment
• fungal growth conditions
• the fermentative properties of yeast and bacteria in the making of bread, wine and yoghurt
• the control of microbial culture and growth
• examination of urine

Advantages of the Unit Design

• Students are able to cultivate microorganisms from their environment in their own homes. This provides them with tactile, visual and olfactory experiences, so important in microbiology. Although students do not get hands-on experience with microscopes they are still able to see via the video clips necessary microscopic results of their experiments.

• The practicals provide greater experience in some aspects of laboratory experimentation than on-campus students receive. Students must plan the experiment from the directions in the manual and buy the consumables not provided in the practical kit. They observe experiments for longer periods than students on-campus, and need to do more in-depth reading to provide possible explanations for results and sound evidence for their conclusions.

Unit materials

• The plan
  which outlines the aims of the unit, how best to make use of the accompanying materials, where the readings for each module are to be found, the assessment, assignment topics, hints on writing and tutor and other resource information available at Curtin.

• The Guide
  drives the theoretical component which consists of 11 modules spread over the 13 week term. The Guide introduces each module, the corresponding learning objectives and provides information as to where the readings are to be found in the accompanying text.

• The Reader
  contains additional readings not found in the text. There are Recommended Readings where an area is not covered adequately in the text and also a series of Readings for Interest which are not examinable but provide interesting asides in the various areas under study.

• The Practical Manual and Kit
  drives the experimental program. This contains descriptions and aims for each set of experiments. There are a series of questions, observations and conclusions to be completed by the student for each module. These are assessable.

  The manual is accompanied by the practical kit which was designed around materials students could find in the home or buy at their local shop it contains minimal equipment and no microorganisms. The kit is contained in a small insulated cooler containing one cold brick. To date it has stood the test of the first mail out through hot weather and to students as far afield as Saudi Arabia.

• What if we provide in-depth directions for all aspects of the practical and the student disregards these and infects themself?
• Are we as individuals indemnified by the University?
• What if a pet or child eats the experiments?
• Can a bucket of dilute bleach be put down septic tanks without damaging the microbial flora?
• How can plate media be safely and easily disinfected and disposed of?

Overcoming the Problems

The content of the practical manual was discussed with numbers of academics and the teenage children of staff members perused it for areas that needed possible further explanation or clarification. There are explicit directions for performing each practical, the handling of materials and cultures and the disposal of materials. We have spent considerable time running each practical under conditions present in the home. Our major headache has been disposal of potentially pathogenic material. We have conducted many in-use tests, using a variety of household disinfectants and chemicals. At all times we have needed to use standardised tests for these procedures and maintain impeccable logs always bearing in mind future legal repercussions.

The fungal practical, in particular, posed many ethical questions as to spore dispersion and possible risk of infection. We eventually designed a wet chamber from a two litre soft drink container which would permit observation of the growing moulds without risk to the student and which could be discarded in the garbage at the end of the experiment.

To date, we have not run into any problems. We remain in close contact with the students through telephone and written evaluations of each practical.

Conclusion

For the first time in Australia external students are able to complete actual hands-on practical components of microbiology at home without risk to themselves, family and friends.

References

Courntey, D. & Edwards, P. (1993). Testy bugs and testing nurses. In Herrmann, A. & Latchem, C. (Eds.), Sharing quality practice. Bentley: Teaching Learning Group, Curtin University.

Edwards, P. & Fox, R. (1993a). Interactive tutorials in clinical microbiology for nursing students. In Herrmann, A. & Latchem, C. (Eds.), Sharing quality practice. Bentley: Teaching Learning Group, Curtin University.

Edwards, P & Fox, R. (1993b). Enhancing the quality of teaching and learning through alternative teaching methods? A computer-assisted-learning case study. In M. S. Parer (Ed.), Academia under pressure. Theory and practice for the 21st century. Churchill: Higher Education and Development Society of Australia.

Fox, R. & Edwards, P. (1990). Microbes and the media: A telecourse for nurses. In R. J. Atkinson & U. C. McBeath (Eds.), Open learning and new technology: Conference proceedings (pp.147-153). Perth: Australian Society for Educational Technology WA Chapter. http://cleo.murdoch.edu.au/gen/aset/confs/olnt90/fox.html

Gawthorne, J. (1990). Is distance education out-moded? National Distance Education Conference (roneo).