Computer-assisted instructions: a role in teaching human gross anatomy

Abstract

Eight computer-assisted instructions were developed concerning selected topics in human gross anatomy. The computer lessons were designed to be very flexible in terms of the selection of material to be presented and make extensive use of colour graphics to explain the anatomy. Voluntary testing with immediate and cumulative feedback is incorporated into the lessons so that the users can evaluate their own progress in mastering the subject material. In an effort to assess the value of the computer lessons, the programs were provided to a volunteer group of 48 first-year medical students from a class of 151 students. At the completion of the gross anatomy course, the student users were requested to complete an anonymous questionnaire regarding their impressions of the value of the computer lessons. In addition, test performance on multiple choice examinations was compared between the users of the computer-assisted instructions and their non-user classmates. The responses in the questionnaires revealed a very positive attitude regarding the value and usefulness of the computer-assisted instructions in learning human gross anatomy. The overall rating of the programs on a scale of 1.0 to 10.0 was 1.8 +/- 1.0 with 1.0 representing 'extremely helpful' and 10.0 being 'of no value'. A comparison of test scores showed no significant difference in test performance between the users of the computer-assisted instructions and the non-users. The results of the study suggest that while the computer lessons provide neither an advantage nor a disadvantage in test performance as evaluated by a multiple choice examination, students perceive the computer-assisted instructions as valuable educational tools in mastering the subject of human gross anatomy. The potential role of the computer-assisted instructions in curriculum development is discussed.

Development and evaluation of a computer-assisted learning module on glomerulonephritis for medical students

“…The strongly positive attitude of the focus group to the use of the module is consistent with that of other reports concerning student acceptance of CAL and their perception of the value of CAL as a learning resource (Walsh & Bohn, 1990;Gouveia-Oliveira et al, 1994;Khadra & Guinea, 1996;Devitt & Palmer, 1998;Wood et al, 1998). Of course, positive attitudes may simply reflect the popularity of the medium and cannot be construed as proof of excellence of the program itself (Laurillard, 1994).…”

Evaluation of the Clinical Anatomy Program in the Medical School of Porto by two cohorts of students

“…They were used as complementary resources to the program, mainly trying to develop the students' spatial ability, which was one of our main objectives, and which is important for successful performance of clinical tasks. Although use of computer models in learning anatomy (Garg et al, 1999) is still debated, interactive media have been used as a resource for education in clinical anatomy (Rosse, 1995;Habbal and Harris, 1995;Ackerman, 1999) and have overcome the limitations of the usual two-dimensional images of anatomical structures (Walsh and Bohn, 1990;Ackerman, 1999). Handouts were shown to be the most significant pedagogical support, followed by plates of CT cross-sections and the curricular plan (Tavares and Silva, 1999).…”

Back to basics

“…Unfortunately, to date much of the debate is based on the perception of the learning experience rather than information gathered from students themselves. Some recent studies (Fitzgerald, 1992;Monkhouse, 1992;Pabst, 1993;Jones, 1997a,b;Marks et al, 1997) have addressed these controversies; some (Walsh and Bohn, 1990;Marks, 1996) have emphasized the impact of information technology in the teaching of anatomy.…”