Innovative Teaching Practices: Telling Stories of Embryological Development

Teaching in academia is no small feat. With large classrooms, dense information, and limited time, effective teaching methods are essential to ensure meaningful learning. In a field as intricate as embryology, the teaching delivery can significantly influence student engagement. Here, Marshall McLuhan's "The medium is the message" maxim rings true: the way content is communicated is as crucial as the content itself. In a cultural moment characterized by rapid information retrieval and dissemination, innovative teaching methods are essential for comprehension beyond what an Internet search provides. Dr. Danielle Bentley, Professor in the Division of Anatomy at the University of Toronto, exemplifies this principle by using storytelling to teach human embryology at the undergraduate level (ANA301H1), graduate level (MSC1008H), and in professional programs (MED100H1).

As an education researcher and founder of the ATLAS Research Lab, Dr. Bentley is committed to advancing and enhancing student learning. Inside the dissection lab and at the front of the classroom, she continues to revolutionize teaching in the anatomical sciences. Using her experiences in public speaking and storytelling, Dr. Bentley teaches the development of organs and systems through a “storylines of development” pedagogical approach. Using storytelling to bridge abstract scientific knowledge with lived human experience allows for a deeper understanding of our conception and being.

Image caption: a series of three books conveying the "storylines of development" approach arranged on a shelf. The storylines depicted from left to right are: the great ascent of the kidneys, heart looping, and lung formation.

To teach embryology through the approach of “storylines of development” is to narrativize this content-rich and detail-oriented journey, transforming the subject matter into an enthralling story. Using an active voice, audience questions, and easing into complex topics, Dr. Bentley encourages her students to solidify their understanding in a meaningful manner. Naomi Lorenzo, an ANA301 student from the Winter 2023 session, describes the interactive learning environment as “a space that allows for an enjoyable learning experience, despite the content-heavy nature of the course. [...] The storytelling approach used in the course helped break down the complex content, transforming what I initially thought would be an information-dense subject into something much more digestible and engaging. The way the material is structured into narrative arcs made it easier to follow the development of organs and systems over time, allowing me to truly understand the process instead of just memorizing facts.”

Another student of the most recent 2024 ANA301 cohort, Emily Abbott, shared similar thoughts: “I had this preconception that embryology would be impossible to fully understand within the time constraints of a single semester. However, the narrativization and the way each developmental stage was presented as a part of a cohesive story made it much easier to understand. The content becomes easier to engage with, having each topic build naturally on the last,” she shares, upon reflection. Practicing an active teaching style allows students to feel engaged when learning content that might ordinarily seem heavy. Reflecting on the coming Fall semester, Emily says, “I hope that other professors are able to implement these teaching strategies, as any course on development would benefit from a storytelling lens.”

The importance of the content in an embryology class extends far beyond an exam paper. In an age of misinformation, it is crucial that future health professionals, researchers, and parents have the tools to understand fetal health and pregnancy. The “storylines of development” approach also allows Dr. Bentley to highlight the unique relevance of each topic explored, frequently including clinical scenarios which allows students to apply their learning to real-life situations: “I teach embryology as one big story of human development. Each organ and each system may have its own chapter where it becomes, momentarily, the main character. But all those chapters are intricately connected, resulting in an elaborate and extensive account of formation. I find it so beautiful that we each begin as our very own story,” Dr. Bentley shares.

Bringing even more life to embryology, storytelling is an exciting framework to introduce into the classroom and should be considered when teaching development. The importance of stories during our own development as children is widely acknowledged; applying this approach to learning about development is the next step. By framing learning as a story, we invite a level of comprehension that resonates with the human experience—a key to truly living and learning.