Innovation for Computerized anatomy educational tools.

Abstract

The climate of uncertainty that has existed over the past decades has spurred the increased need for innovation seen in most areas of human activities. This demand for innovation has also been experienced in anatomy education with calls for new tools and thinking on the delivery of anatomical instruction. The response has been the implementation of new instructional methods (e.g. peer‐to‐peer teaching, body painting) and the use of new instructional medium and tools (e.g. computing systems, virtual and augmented reality, 3D printing). However, the introduction of these new innovations, though promising, has been unable to adequately address the concerns in the anatomy educational community. This is particularly seen with innovative computing systems used for anatomy education.In seeking to innovate and investigate the situation with computerized anatomy educational tools (CAET), the research took a different approach by relying on the process of making a CAET as a way of investigating the problem. This approach involved the introduction of different ideas and practices from different disciplines throughout the research process. Based on this, we defined what an innovative instructional tool should be from three perspectives: psychologist, anthropologist and educationist as a learning tool that does not impose a negative cognitive load on the learner; affords sufficient processing of anatomical information; and results in increased confidence, respectively. This led to creation of a learning technology using the anatomy of the heart as a case study, that when evaluated showed a positive effect on cognitive load, learners behaviour associated with processing and self efficacy.Based on the results of the evaluation it was concluded that this tool and its design positively affected the effective experience of learning anatomy. The finding was broadened to the general debate among instructional method in anatomy education, suggesting that CAETs and other learning technologies (LT) could positively affect on the anatomy learning experience that is associated with academic performance. In doing this, it suggests a new perspective for research around LT proposing a shift in focus from comparative studies that has been shown to offer little insights in determining their effect, to seeking ways that they could positive affect the experience of learning. Ultimately, the findings could be seen as innovative in the meaning associated with CAETs, as educational tools that positively improves the ALX, and not supplements or adjunct to other instructional tools or their replacement. It is expected that future research on CAET would focus on this meaning, de‐emphasizing the focus on comparative studies that has been prevalent for the past three decades in anatomy education.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.