Spatial ability and learning anatomy

Abstract

Understanding how spatial ability relates to learning anatomy is important in developing safe doctors and health care professionals. This study brings together three separate projects. Project 1 involved a series of spatial ability experiments on medical students (n=30) and doctors (n=20) at the University of Southampton, UK. It aimed to explore if spatial ability could be trained for. The results indicated that metric (depth) perception increased with training (p=0.007). Project 2 conducted at the University of Brighton and Sussex Medical School aimed to see if medical students (n= 105) previous experience of learning made a difference. The results indicated that students who had studied physics had an improved spatial ability (p=0.022). Project 3 measured the use of touch mediated perception during examination on a cadaver removing the heart/lungs using motion tracking devices. The results indicated that the total distance of flexion and extension was 8765 degrees with radial and ulna deviation of 5475 degrees. In conclusion these 3 projects inform us that spatial ability has an element of being a learned and trained ability and this is reflected by those who had studied a visual subject. Educational theory recommends an active learning approach as being an effective study method and using human cadavers has been proposed as a method that reflects active learning, the final experiment reflects how active examination of a specimen is!