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Histology, the study of tissues at a microscopic level, is a cornerstone of the education of healthcare professionals. It lays the foundation for grasping pathology and diagnostics. Memorizing terminology, understanding the physiological relevance of specific cellular arrangements, and integrating this knowledge into a cohesive understanding of organ systems present significant hurdles. Laboratory sessions, where students engage with actual histological slides, are crucial but can pose challenges too. Understanding histology requires a keen eye, attention to detail, and a solid grasp of cellular structures and tissue patterns. The skill to comprehend histological images, interpret them, and reconstruct three-dimensional structures takes time and practice. Freehand drawing microscope observations aids in understanding, enhances learning, and retention. In the realm of university health sciences, portfolios have become an essential tool for both students and educators. These carefully curated collections of evidence showcase students' academic development, clinical skills, and personal achievements throughout their higher education journey. For educators, portfolios simplify assessment based on learning outcomes. Sophomore dentistry students were required to prepare an individual portfolio documenting their work in Oral Histology practical sessions. The portfolio was expected to include freehand drawings of organs observed under the microscope at various magnifications and with different stains. Additionally, the portfolios were to encompass the student's reflections on their learning process. After submitting the portfolio, students were asked to complete a satisfaction survey regarding their practical experience. Students were requested to provide feedback on the utility of drawings and the portfolio, the time allocated, and the clarity of guidelines. The survey consisted of seven questions, employing a 5-point Likert scale where 1 indicated the lowest value (Strong

Histology is typically undertaken by medical and dental undergraduates during the first and second years. Although theoretical knowledge is broad and difficult to learn, histology is a practical science that relies on images and on the skill of interpreting them. The practice classes are aimed at enabling the identification of cell and tissue types and the recognition of normal morphology at the microscopic level. It is not strange for students to fail and obtain poor outcomes. During the last decades, class dynamization has been a golden point for teaching strategies including constructivist methodologies, where students are actively involved in their training. This work aimed to enhance active engagement in histology practices using Wooclap, a digital tool to interact, capture attention and measure understanding. Two different approaches were designed for the Dentistry degree in the course 2023-24. Students enrolled in Cell Biology and Histology or Oral Biology spend 15 and 7.5 hours respectively, observing slides under microscopy. Wooclap questionnaires were introduced in practicals of both subjects but with different purposes. Fresher students from Cell Biology and Histology were proposed to complete an asynchronous questionnaire after each practice to reinforce their learning and to prepare for the final test. A different approach was designed for the second-year students from Oral Histology. Wooclap questionnaires were used at the beginning of each class to delve into the practice. In this subject, the evaluation of the practices was done through a portfolio. In this paper, we describe the double experience and present the results of the satisfaction surveys completed by the students. In summary, respondents showed a satisfactory opinion of the tool. The asynchronous activities gave feedback to the students about their level of knowledge and made them reflect on how to strengthen their skills. Remarkably, students' marks in the final test seem to be directly r

Cell biology and histology are basic sciences that study the levels of organization between the gross morphological and the molecular levels. They are included in the curricula of the preclinical years of medical and dental degrees. Cell biology and histology courses are usually perceived as difficult to pass and high failure rates reduce indeed learners’ interest and engagement. Research has shown that students learn more while actively engaged, and that engagement occurs through interactions with the content, peers, and instructors. Among active learning strategies, an adaptive flipped classroom (AFC) is an advanced approach based on interactions between instructors and students prior to face-to-face sessions. Learners are expected to complete some assignments meant to make them reflect and reveal their comprehension and learning difficulties. With this methodology, instructors can tailor teaching to their specific needs. A pilot AFC approach was implemented in the Cell Biology and Histology subject which is part of the Dental Degree at the Complutense University of Madrid. AFC was applied to 42% of the histology syllabus along two consecutive courses. At the beginning of the 2021-22 course, the class was split into two halves due to the pandemic, so while one-half of the students went to face-to-face classes the other half attended online via Microsoft Teams. The two halves turned weekly, so all the students attended the same number of face-to-face and online sessions. As a result of the improvement of the pandemic, two months after the beginning, classes reverted to conventional face-to-face teaching just after finishing AFC units. The aim of the present study is to present an AFC approach applied to the histology program of a dentistry degree to enhance engagement and active learning, the student’s perceptions, and to assess if appraisals were consistent or not in two consecutive courses. A high level of engagement was achieved in both courses, the materials pr