A “Do‐It‐Yourself” interactive bone structure module: Development and evaluation of an online teaching resource

Abstract

A stand-alone online teaching module was developed to cover an area of musculoskeletal anatomy (structure of bone) found to be difficult by students. The material presented in the module was not formally presented in any other way, thus providing additional time for other curriculum components, but it was assessed in the final examination. The module was developed using "in-house" software designed for academics with minimal computer experience. The efficacy and effectiveness of the module was gauged via student surveys, testing student knowledge before and after module introduction, and analysis of final examination results. At least 74% of the class used the module and student responses were positive regarding module usability (navigation, interaction) and utility (learning support). Learning effectiveness was demonstrated by large significant improvements in the post-presentation test scores for "users" compared with "non-users" and by the percentage of correct responses to relevant multiple choice questions in the final examination. Performance on relevant short answer questions in the final examination was, on average, comparable to that for other components. Though limited by study structure, it was concluded that the module produced learning outcomes equivalent to those generated by more traditional teaching methods. This "Do-It-Yourself" e-learning approach may be particularly useful for meeting specific course needs not catered for by commercial applications or where there are cost limitations for generation of online learning material. The specific approaches used in the study can assist in development of effective online resources in anatomy.

Participation in asynchronous online discussion forums does improve student learning of gross anatomy

“…Blended learning, involving the incorporation of computer‐assisted learning resources (Kaczynski et al, ), has become increasingly common in anatomy education in Australia (Smythe and Hughes, ; Rich and Guy, ) and elsewhere (Bryner et al, ; Choudhury et al, ; Johnson et al, ). One feature of the online learning that has become increasingly common in blended learning models is the use of discussion forums (Vlachopoulos and Cowan, ).…”

Learning anatomy from the internet

“…Learning methodologies in anatomy have been revolutionised in the 21st century and, in accordance with adult learning principles, students are exploring newer media for learning the subject. The internet is an emerging platform for learning anatomy worldwide, and this has been complemented by the availability of high‐quality, as well as easy to retrieve, online resources . The internet is a phenomenal data resource, providing the user with numerous learning tools, and we suggest that a little assistance could be useful for helping students use the net more effectively for learning anatomy.…”

“…The internet is an emerging platform for learning anatomy worldwide, and this has been complemented by the availability of high-quality, as well as easy to retrieve, online resources. 2 The internet is a phenomenal data resource, providing the user with numerous learning tools, and we suggest that a little assistance could be useful for helping students use the net more effectively for learning anatomy. We hypothesised that the perceptions of fi rst-year undergraduate students could be the basis for identifying the popular anatomy learning tools from the internet and analysing their effectiveness in actually assisting students to learn the subject.…”

Aprendizagem da Anatomia Humana: contribuição de um roteiro teórico-prático

“…Ao longo dos anos, o ensino da anatomia tem sofrido uma série de influências e modificações. Embora o cadáver ainda seja um dos principais alvos de estudo (GHOSH, 2017;JOHNSON;CHARCHANTI;TROUPIS, 2012), outros métodos inovadores de aprendizagem têm sido empregados na busca da superação das dificuldades apresentadas pelos discentes, como o uso de atlas eletrônico interativo (IeA) e animaçõeson-linesobre partes docorpo humano, a fim de melhorar o processo de aprendizagem (GUY et al, 2015;LONE et al, 2018;PIAZZA;CHASSOT, 2012;RICH;GUY, 2013). Além disso, os livros e atlas didáticos são frequentemente atualizadospor meio da utilização de imagens reais, figuras e linguagem mais clara, visando facilitar o processo de construção do conhecimento e melhor formação dos estudantes (WATANABE, 2009;NETTER, 2011;MOORE;AGUR, 2004;TORTORA;NIELSEN, 2013).…”