Dyad pedagogy in practical anatomy: A description of the implementation and student perceptions of an adaptive approach to cadaveric teaching

Abstract

Prior to the challenges imposed by the Covid‐19 pandemic, anatomy practical sessions at Trinity College Dublin involved eight to 10 students per donor station, rotating between digital learning, anatomical models/osteology, and dissection activities for three hours weekly. To maintain cadaveric participation in the anatomy laboratory while adhering to distancing guidelines, a transition to dyad pedagogy was implemented. This mode of delivery allowed two students per donor station to spend one hour per week in the anatomy laboratory with all digital learning elements transferred to the virtual learning platform Blackboard as pre‐ and post‐practical session learning activities. Dyad pedagogy has been explored in clinical settings and simulation procedural‐based training but is yet to be fully verified in anatomy education. To determine the effectiveness of hybrid practical sessions and reduced donor to student ratios, the opinions of first year medical students were examined using an online questionnaire with a 51% response rate. Although students recognized the merits of more time in the anatomy laboratory, including opportunities for self‐directed study and exposure to anatomical variation, they felt that having two students per station enabled sufficient hands‐on time with the donor body and fostered learning opportunities that would not be possible with larger groups. Strong preferences for quality time with the donor body supported by online resources suggests this modality should be a key consideration in course design for anatomy curricula and emphasizes the importance of gauging students' preferences to optimize satisfaction and learning output when pivoting to blended learning strategies in anatomy education.

The gross anatomy course:SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic‐related effects on students' learning, interest in peer‐teaching, and students' perception of its importance

“…Therefore, there was no decline in interest regarding one's professional development. Similarly, Cullinane and Barry reported recently that a reduced time with the donor does not affect the students' professional relationship with the donor or their ability to dissect 89 . Nevertheless, students in the present survey were less interested in transferring their knowledge to junior students.…”

“…Similarly, Cullinane and Barry reported recently that a reduced time with the donor does not affect the students' professional relationship with the donor or their ability to dissect. 89 Nevertheless, students in the present survey were less interested in transferring their knowledge to junior students. In this context, it is tempting to speculate that the results reflect a general decrease in altruism due to the challenges of the pandemic.…”

“…The latter statement would correspond to the experience of Cullinane and Barry. They described that students in their pair‐based anatomy practical session under COVID‐19 particularly appreciated the small group size and the extra space for dissection because they, for example, felt more confident to ask questions 89 . In the course design of the present study, the group size was reduced by almost 50% ( n = 6), an approach several students commented on positively (e.g., “ Very good that only six persons worked with one donor; thus, everyone had enough time to become familiar with the body donor, everyone had enough space and possibilities to prepare, and the group also grew a bit closer together this way” ).…”

Undergraduate medical student perceptions and learning outcomes related to anatomy training using Thiel‐ and ethanol‐glycerin‐embalmed tissues

“…Anatomy forms one of the pillars of undergraduate medical education (Turney, 2007; Ghazanfar et al, 2018; Song & Jo, 2022). A wide range of contemporary anatomy teaching methods has become available in recent years (Macpherson & Lisk, 2022; Santos et al, 2022; Cullinane & Barry, 2023; Khan et al, 2023). In spite of these developments, gross anatomy dissection courses continue to be considered an integral part of human and dental medical training (Dangerfield et al, 2000; Magee, 2001; Korf et al, 2008; Williams et al, 2014; Ghosh, 2015; Rafai et al, 2016) and present the mainstream of delivering an anatomical curriculum in most medical schools worldwide (Eisma et al, 2013; Dissabandara et al, 2015).…”