Introducing saliva as an analytical sample in higher education through an interdisciplinary blended-learning programme

Abstract

Saliva is an emerging analytical sample increasingly supported by scientific evidence as a viable alternative or complement to serum or plasma in both human and veterinary medicine. Despite its demonstrated potential, its inclusion in higher education curricula within human and animal sciences remains limited. To address this gap, an international blended university course was developed to introduce saliva as an analytical sample within a One Health framework. The programme targeted university teachers and postgraduate students from different disciplines and combined online theoretical sessions with hands-on saliva collection, exposure to laboratory analytical workflows, and interpretation of real analytical data. The educational intervention was evaluated through participant satisfaction surveys conducted immediately after the course and a one-year follow-up questionnaire assessing its educational and professional impact. Participants reported high satisfaction with both the theoretical and practical components of the programme and identified the hands-on activities and interdisciplinary learning environment among its greatest strengths. One year after course completion, many participants had incorporated the acquired knowledge into their teaching, initiated or planned research related to saliva science, and established new interdisciplinary collaborations. These findings suggest that interdisciplinary blended-learning programmes can facilitate the progressive integration of emerging fields such as saliva analysis into higher education curricula while promoting long-term educational impact, curriculum innovation, and collaboration across human and veterinary health disciplines.