The Development and Evaluation of Online Neuroanatomy Resources for OT Students

Abstract

Of necessity for a practicing Occupational Therapist is the ability to demonstrate competent neuroanatomical knowledge through application into clinical practice. Yet, throughout the academic careers of Occupational Therapy (OT) students, neuroanatomy (NA) will consistently be perceived as one of the most difficult anatomical topics encountered. Rising in anatomical education is the use of computer assisted learning (CAL) due to its alignment with educational goals and student desires. This study aims to determine how neuroanatomy e‐modules (NEMs) can improve the perceptions and academic performance in NA of first year Master of Occupational Therapy (MScOT) students at Western University. In this descriptive study, 1st year MScOT students who studied NA without the use of NEMs (N = 61, nonNEM cohort) completed a Likert style survey examining perceptions of major NA topics. In addition, multiple choice exams (N = 109 questions) were analyzed to measure student performance on questions regarding NA topics, lower or higher order complexity, and clinical neurology. Four NEMs were then created and implemented into the next student cohort (N = 75, NEM cohort). Upon completion of the course, students were once again surveyed for perceived NA difficulty and final exam performance analyzed (N = 34). The overall self‐perceived NA knowledge of the students exposed NEMs were similar in comparison to non‐NEM cohort (p = .811), however, the cohort exposed to the NEMs demonstrated decreased perceived difficulty on all six NA topics surveyed, with a significant difference being found on cranial nerve difficulty (p = .007). Consistent with non‐NEM cohort, students in the NEM cohort still perceived the basal ganglia & cerebellum, and spinal cord as the most difficult NA topics. When measuring academic performance, students in the NEM cohort demonstrated significant improvements in overall NA (p = .001), higher‐order NA (p = .001), and clinical neurology knowledge (p = .009), however no improvement in lower‐order NA knowledge was found (p =.122) Further, of the NA topics examined, students in the NEM cohort demonstrated significant improvement on cranial nerve‐based questions (p = .01) in comparison to the non‐NEM cohort. With the implementation of NEMs, the data from the present study demonstrates the efficacy of CAL emodules in improving NA performance and perceptions within OT curriculums. Of most significance is the improvement on higher order NA performance with the use of NEMs, as questions of this nature require greater critical thinking and application of knowledge, closely resembling what students will encounter in their clinical practice. Although further research on the interaction between performance and perceptions is still required, this study shows initial evidence of a relationship as students significantly improved their perceptions and performance, especially when it came to cranial nerve‐based questions. With the shift and modernization of educational standards, OT instructors should consider the implementation of CAL emodules into their curriculums as it can have significant benefits in the outcomes of OT students learning NA and their role in the treatment and rehabilitation of those with neurological conditions.