Blended and digital approaches in histology and pathology teaching: A scoping review

Histology and pathology education is evolving, driven by the integration of digital microscopy with other technological advances. Gaining insight into the impact of this transition, while understanding the perspectives of both students and educators, is important for improving teaching practices. This includes mapping teaching methods, digital learning tools and assessment strategies in digital or blended learning environments, and exploring interactions between students and educators. This scoping review investigated how the integration of digital microscopy into histology and pathology education, and a shift to digital and blended learning, has impacted teaching and learning practices. Five databases were used in the search (PubMed, EMBASE, ERIC ProQuest, Web of Science, and Scopus), resulting in 98 included articles. The literature indicated that teaching methods have become more accessible, interactive, and student-centered than traditional instruction. Thirty studies described digital learning tools with digital microscopy, which were used by educators for teaching and by students for independent studies. Image-based quizzes and formative feedback for self-evaluation were frequently reported assessment methods. The lack of physical interaction between students, peers and educators was reported to be a disadvantage of digital learning. Several studies identified blended approaches as a possible solution to maintain accessible digital teaching while preserving valuable student-educator interactions. This review discusses the findings within a broader perspective, identifies opportunities to enhance the learning experience for educators and medical students, and addresses diverse needs to guide the future development of digital learning tools.