Types of Teaching Microscope for College
A teaching microscope is the equipment used mostly by teachers and their students for educational purposes including viewing of different specimens. This type of microscope is widely used in schools, research laboratories, universities, and a lot more. Its application depends upon its various features. Teaching microscopes can also vary from a simple instrument with a single lens to a compound instrument with a high power magnification.
A teaching microscope can be classified according to the number of heads such as single viewing head, dual viewing head. Here are some of the classifications of teaching microscopes along with other related features.
1. Single viewing head
One example of this type of teaching microscope is the regular compound light microscope, which employs a method of transmitting the image to the microscope user’s eyes using light. It has more than one lens hence it is called compound.
2. Dual viewing head
A dual viewing head microscope consists of two heads purposely made for dual viewing and is very ideal for one-on-one teaching. It can be a monocular or a binocular. Monocular microscopes have a single eyepiece while binocular microscopes have two microscope eyepieces.
3. Trinocular viewing head
This is a teaching microscope that has two microscope eyepieces, also referred to as binocular, used for normal viewing purposes. It also consists of a third head referred to as the vertical viewing port. This vertical viewing port is similar to a tube where one can mount any video camera. In using this teaching microscope coupled with video microscopy, a video camera is utilized to be able to view the image in a monitor. A lot of students can view the specimen as the teacher demonstrates the examination.
In terms of usefulness and locations, a teaching microscope is further classified in to three. These are the digital teaching microscopes, indoor teaching microscopes, and field or outdoor teaching microscopes.
1. Digital teaching microscope
As one of the latest advancements in microscopes, a digital teaching microscope offers bigger possibilities as it opens to a wider perspective in the field of learning. It is highly sophisticated because of its capability to capture images. It can also be managed to store and edit data both still and video images of the subject being examined. It results to a much sharper descriptions. This is done through the use of a digital camera allowing the microscope user to display the images on the computer monitor and projectors. This enables easier viewing for the students especially in video presentations.
2. Indoor teaching microscope
This type of microscope is perfect to use during class lectures as well as important researches. Having the same built and function as a typical teaching microscope, it can be specifically focused on teaching activities. It is solely designed for usual tandem use when teaching thus, allowing more people to utilize it and view the specimen at the same time. With this feature, everyone can simultaneously understand every lesson in microscopy allowing efficient use of time in the part of the teacher. The students can view the specimens at the same time while their teacher can continue the lecture without any interruption. Indoor teaching microscopes come as monocular or binocular and they are often tilted to a certain degree angle allowing it to be used with ease. It has a built-in light source which enables good illumination. It can also be accompanied with a video monitor for the same reasons of having uninterrupted lectures. Another feature is its ability to be used with a remote control for an easier manipulation of the focus and scanning of the image anytime the teacher desires. Ideally, this is used for presentations and group lectures using projectors to display vivid images of specimens. The best feature that this type of scope has is being robustness and toughness built to be extremely stable for every function.
3. Field or outdoor teaching microscope
There are times when learning microscopy requires the teachers and their students to perform their examination outdoors especially when a certain lecture will be best taught outside of the classroom. This is an instance where this type of teaching microscope is very much needed as it is distinctively designed for outdoor activities. Most often, students have to do their tasks and researches in a diverse environment. This type of microscope comes handy and relatively functional as it can allow various designs such as microscopy involving phase contrast, dark field, bright field, and stereo. Each of these field or outdoor teaching microscopes utilizes LED as its light source. The reason behind this is that generally, outdoor lighting is never enough when you want to achieve an ideal viewing. This can also be either a monocular or a binocular microscope.
