Jon Houseman: Digital imagery improves learning

Jon Houseman in his lab

Jon Houseman

Among the most enduring images of scientific education is that of the young biologist peering at a specimen through a microscope, then turning to a notebook to draw a tidy picture of the invisible world seen through this instrument.

To biology professor Jon Houseman that image is far too romantic. He recalls the act of drawing as more hindrance than help to laboratory learning, and his opinion is a longstanding one.

Digital imaging does not replace intellectual work

Houseman is an ardent fan of digital imagery, pointing out that this equipment does not replace the intellectual task of identifying what one is seeing. Instead, the camera ensures an accurate representation of what is viewed through the microscope.

Houseman�s turn to the latest technology is enriching the learning experience of his students. By taking advantage of laboratories in the new Biosciences Complex that are outfitted with microscopes and digital cameras connected to computers right on the lab bench, pairs of students carry out the traditional work of identifying specimens.

�The combination of computers and informatics at the biology wet bench is unique; we were unable to find anything on a comparable scale in North America,� Houseman says.

Each student team�s microscopic imagery can be funnelled through a single desktop to monitor their progress. If a team is having problems, the instructor can address the situation directly; if another team has created an especially outstanding image, it can be transferred to a larger monitor for the entire class to view.

Houseman is enhancing the students� experience even more by providing them with electronic reference materials that he has been assembling for more than a decade. Now sold as a CD-ROM from academic publisher McGraw-Hill Higher Education, this product is known as Digital Zoology, or DigiZoo for short.

�Originally it was a visual guide to lab materials,� he says. �But it is now a full textbook in zoology as well.�

The roots of DigiZoo can be traced to BIODIDAC, a collection of online zoological images assembled by some 20 contributors, which is available at biodidac.bio.uOttawa.ca.

DigiZoo consists of some 250 learning modules made up of text and images, focusing on a set of zoological subjects. Some 45 species are covered, with details on more than 100 different animal groups.

The content includes illustrations, photos, and even video clips, along with traditional biological drawings based on the taxonomic classifications for various organisms. An interactive glossary links technical terms with specific images, offering students a much more comprehensive view of each definition.

Above all, Houseman points out, DigiZoo provides a series of self-evaluation tools. These range from a simple question-and-answer format to sets of crossword puzzles, which have proven to be extremely popular with students.