Immunology play: incorporating active learning into your lecture 3842

Abstract Description The utilization of active learning in the classroom increases student understanding and performance. Here, I will discuss how to create an immunology play in your lecture where students are the actors. First, you need to outline the play. You can devote a whole class period to review the entire immune response to a bacterium or virus, or break it into smaller sections: innate immunity, activation of adaptive, adaptive immunity, memory response, etc. In developing your play, you need to consider your audience (student type and class size), classroom layout, level of detail, and depth of material. Props will have to be made beforehand for cells, receptors, ligands, and signaling molecules. Students play the role of different cells, wearing a cell name tag: macrophage, DC, B cell, T cell, etc. They also hold props for the main receptors and signaling molecules of their cell type: TLRs, MyD88, cytokines, MHC, TCR, BCR, etc. The classroom is sectioned off into skin, lymph node, blood, and lymphatics. As an example, a bacterium penetrates the skin and starts to multiply. Streamers taped to the body represent flagella which can be ripped into pieces to demonstrate antigen processing. As in a real immune response, the students move between tissue types upon proper stimulation with their props. With thoughtful planning and direction, a successful play can be executed which increases student achievement and inclusivity while decreasing the gap between underrepresented minorities. Topic Categories Immunology Education and Communication (EDU)