Anatomy Course Research Articles

OC-074 A NEW THREE-DIMENSIONAL MODEL OF THE INGUINAL REGION FOR ANATOMY TEACHING

Abstract Aim The inguinal anatomy is difficult, but a correct anatomical base prevents clinical errors. We present a three-dimensional paper model the student made by himself to improve knowledge of the setup of layers and structures from the inguinal region. Material and methods It is a paper model that is made from a printed document, that is distributed in PDF format supported by a video tutorial. This model contains the layers of the inguinal region and other structures. Its usefulness has been tested with Medicine students in the Anatomy course. In a practical class, before starting, the students answer a questionnaire with questions about inguinal anatomy and the self-perception of their knowledge. The individual construction of the model is carried out and at the end of the class they answer the questionnaire again. Results The results of the 2022–23 academic year show an improvement in the self-perception of their knowledge going from an average grade of 2.54/5 before the practice to 3.42/5 and an improvement in the correct answers going from 57.5% of correct answers to 71.42% after the construction of the model. Conclusions This method has the following advantages: it is built by the student, very low cost, reproducible and it is three-dimensional. Based on the preliminary results of the past academic year, we hope that students will significantly improve their theoretical knowledge about the inguinal region, and they will have improved their confidence about the knowledge of this subject.

How do practicing physical therapists perceive anatomy education?

The purpose of this investigation was to explore the perceptions of the sufficiency and relevancy of physical therapy anatomy education among early, mid, and late career physical therapists. A survey was distributed via email through clinical networks in the greater Mid-Atlantic region, the American Physical Therapy Association Pennsylvania chapter (APTA-PA), and the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy (ACAPT) Educational Research division. 194 physical therapists responded to the survey. The survey included questions regarding how anatomy was learned in physical therapy school and Likert scale questions investigating opinions of anatomy education. Frequencies were calculated to determine the methods of anatomy education and Likert scale responses. One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was performed to compare the Likert scale responses from the groupings of survey participants. Respondents across all years of practice felt that their anatomy education was sufficient and relevant to their clinical practice and that schools dedicated enough time to teaching anatomy. Respondents who had a dissection component in their anatomy curriculum were more likely to view dissection as essential. Length of time in practice did not influence opinions on the sufficiency or relevancy of anatomy education. Dissection continues to be included in most physical therapy anatomy courses and perceived as essential for learning. Practicing physical therapists' anatomy education was viewed as sufficient and relevant with few recommendations for change. Perceptions of clinicians should be incorporated into curriculum design and reform and be gathered on an ongoing basis as more students from programs without anatomical donors graduate and enter clinical practice.

Can self-assessment ability predict student performance in a dental anatomy course?

The development of early self-assessment skills and determining its correlation with academic performance could provide evidence to alter dental curricula. The aim of this retrospective study was to examine the relationships between students' early self-assessment ability in waxing and three different evaluation methods (waxing assessment, written examinations, and tooth identification examination) in a dental anatomy course. The dental anatomy scores during the academic years of 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 from two cohorts of second-year pre-doctoral dental students at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine were analyzed. Regression analyses were completed to assess the relationship between all evaluation methods. There was a statistically significant correlation between self-assessment ability and the waxing assessment but no significant correlation between self-assessment ability and the other evaluation methods. Our results showed that the introduction of self-assessments in dental anatomy waxing was correlated with successful waxing skills. Furthermore, a relevant finding is that students who received higher classifications were also capable of doing better self-assessments. These findings provide evidence that impacts dental curricula.

Application of 3D-printed pulmonary segment specimens in experimental teaching of sectional anatomy

BackgroundLung cross-section is one of the emphases and challenges in sectional anatomy. Identification of the complex arrangement of intrapulmonary tubes such as bronchi, arteries, and veins in the lungs requires the spatial imagination of students. Three-dimensional (3D) printing has become increasingly used in anatomy education. This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of 3D-printed specimens used for the experimental teaching of sectional anatomy.MethodsA digital thoracic dataset was obtained and input into a 3D printer to print multicolor specimens of the pulmonary segment after software processing. As research subjects, 119 undergraduate students majoring in medical imaging from classes 5–8 in the second-year were chosen. In the lung cross-section experiment course, 59 students utilized 3D printed specimens in conjunction with traditional instruction as the study group, while 60 students received traditional teaching as the control group. Preclass and postclass tests, course grading, and questionnaire surveys were used to assess instructional efficacy.ResultsWe obtained a set of pulmonary segment specimens for teaching. The students in the study group scored better in the postclass test than those in the control group (P < 0.05), and the students in the study group scored higher in satisfaction with the teaching content and spatial thinking for sectional anatomy than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The course grades and excellence rates in the study group exceeded those in the control group (P < 0.05).ConclusionThe application of high-precision multicolor 3D-printed specimens of lung segments in experimental teaching of sectional anatomy can improve teaching effectiveness and is worth adopting and promoting in sectional anatomy courses.

Developing lab activities for an introductory anatomy course: Reflections and recommendations from a student-faculty partnership

Developing lab activities for an introductory anatomy course: Reflections and recommendations from a student-faculty partnership

Metacognitive training did not increase retention of content in upper-division Anatomy and Physiology course

Metacognitive training was embedded into an upper-division Human Anatomy and Physiology course to examine whether training improved student metacognition and retention of course content. Training included explicit instruction on the definition and value of metacognition, practice in course-specific metacognitive strategies, and assignments in which students reflected on their metacognitive strategies and how their metacognitive strategies could be altered to improve learning and exam grades. Previous work indicated that metacognitive training improved self-reported metacognitive practices and protected against declines in student self-efficacy, but did not improve exam scores. Therefore, we wondered whether the benefit of metacognitive improvement was in content retention rather than improved exam scores. This study hypothesized that metacognitive training, and the subsequent gains in self-reported metacognitive practices, would improve student retention of course content one month after the end of the course. Results indicate that students who received metacognitive training improved self-reported metacognitive practices while student who did not receive training did not improve metacognitive practices. However, metacognitive training did not alter the level of course content retained one month after the end of the course. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Sleepy Mice Case Study: Implementation and Assessment.

Case studies are a valuable teaching tool to engage students in course content using real-world scenarios. As part of the High-throughput Discovery Science & Inquiry-based Case Studies for Today's Students (HITS) Research Coordination Network (RCN), our team has created the Sleepy Mice Case Study for students to engage with RStudio and the Allen Institute for Brain Science's open access high-throughput sleep dataset on mice. Sleep is important for health, a familiar concern to college students, and was a basis for this case study. In this case, students completed an initial homework assignment, in-class work, and a final take-home application assignment. The case study was implemented in synchronous and asynchronous Introductory Neuroscience courses, a Biopsychology course, and a Human Anatomy and Physiology course, reflecting its versatility. The case can be used to teach course-specific learning objectives such as sleep-related content and/or science data processing skills. The case study was successful as shown by gains in student scores and confidence in achieving learning objectives. Most students reported enjoying learning about sleep deprivation course content using the case study. Best practices based on instructor experiences in implementation are also included to facilitate future use so that the Sleepy Mice Case Study can be used to teach content and/or research-related skills in various courses and modalities.

Assessing conversational oral communication in an undergraduate anatomy and physiology course

Effective oral communication is an important competency for scholars and health professionals. This is more traditionally assessed through orations and class presentation. Practically, graduates may be tasked with more instances of interpersonal and conversational oral communication. It is also difficult to assess student recall knowledge in prepared speeches and presentations. The Cal Poly Pomona institutional rubric for oral communication was adapted to be used in group discussions and one-on-one conversations. Evaluation criteria included central message, organization, language and delivery. Each criterion was evaluated on a 4-tier (0-3) mastery scale. The specific evaluation criteria area needing the most development was also noted. Undergraduate upper-division, anatomy and physiology students (n = 48) participated in five topic discussions in randomly assigned groups of 12 throughout the laboratory section of the course. The facilitator evaluated student oral communication skills using the adapted rubric throughout each discussion. At the end of the semester the same rubric was used to score responses to 5-prompts during a one-on-one oral examination with the instructor. This modified rubric was able to be used in real-time. Overall students demonstrated modestly higher scores in the discussions 1.952 +/- 0.36 than in the oral examinations 1.717 +/- 0.23. In both assessments the area of greatest need of development was language (56.6% - 68% of statements) followed by delivery (28% -37.6% of statements). During oral examinations the rubric was used while concurrently evaluating student content knowledge. Some students were consistent, while others scored at a range of levels. It remains to be determined whether student peak achievement or average performance are better indicators of competency. In either case this project highlighted the need to support student use of anatomy and physiology language to improve their conversational oral communication skills in that content area. Cal Poly Pomona Office of Academic Programs This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

The trepidatious return to in-person instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic: valuable lessons applied from online teaching using Lt in the face-to-face classroom

The speed at which educators have embraced new technologies during the COVID-19 pandemic has been remarkable. This pivot to virtual instruction has been particularly difficult in courses where hands-on experiences are the norm, such as in anatomy and physiology laboratory courses. Now with the transition back to mostly in-person instruction, the anatomy and physiology lab environment has faced a new set of challenges where the want to return to a strictly hands-on experience is being met with the need to still maintain flexibility and accessibility for students placed in quarantine. The anatomy and physiology lab curriculum at the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) has adapted to this varied set of needs by adopting the use of the web-based laboratory software platform, Lt. Students surveyed during strictly virtual semesters reported a high level of satisfaction with the Lt lab software. Ratings regarding ease of use, support of learning, and overall ratings increased each semester with the highest ratings occurring during the most recent semesters where instruction was mostly in-person and hands-on (Fall 2021 – Fall 2022). This helps to support the widely held belief that students perform best, and that instruction is more effective with face-to-face laboratory courses. With our continued use of Lt, we have found an effective combination of virtual and in-person instruction that best fits our course outcomes while still supporting the flexibility and accessibility our students require. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

A pilot study of robotic surgery case videos for first-year medical student anatomy.

There has been a recent shift in medical student anatomy education with greater incorporation of virtual resources. Multiple approaches to virtual anatomy resources have been described, but few involve video or images from surgical procedures. In this pilot study, a series of surgical case videos was created using robotic surgery video footage for a first-year medical student anatomy course. Five operations were included that covered thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic anatomy. Students were surveyed at the end of the course regarding their experience with the videos and their perceptions towards a surgical career. Overall, participants agreed that the videos were an effective learning tool, were useful regardless of career interest, and that in the future it would be useful to incorporate additional surgical case videos. Respondents highlighted the importance of audio narration with future videos and provided suggestions for future operations that they would like to see included. In summary, this pilot study describes the creation and implementation of a surgical video anatomy curriculum and student survey results suggest this may be an effective approach to video-based anatomy education for further curricular development.

51. Is Plastic Surgery Resident Learning and Assessment Consistent? A Comparison of American Society of Plastic Surgery Educational Network Topics, In-service Examinations, and Residency Core Curriculums

PURPOSE: The in-service examination objectively compares plastic surgery (PS) residents’ knowledge, while the ASPS’ Education Network (EdNet) is a “gold-standard” which programs use to design their curricula. This study aims to quantify the degree to which critical PS learning modalities align. METHODS: Questions from the EdNet resident courses and 2018-2022 in-service examinations were tabulated and assigned to EdNet topics. Then, curricula for fifteen PS residencies were assigned to EdNet topics. Topic alignment between curricula didactics, in-service examinations, and EdNet courses was tested with Pearson’s Chi-Square and Fisher’s Exact Tests. RESULTS: 2,038 questions corresponding to 102 topics were queried from EdNet. 1170 in-service questions and 910 curricula lectures were assigned to these topics. Program curricula taught thirty topics at significantly different frequencies than those taught by EdNet. The past five in-service examinations tested 28 topics at significantly different frequencies than those taught by EdNet. CONCLUSION: One-third of gold-standard EdNet topics are taught and tested at significantly different frequencies. However, the gold-standard itself may require review: no anatomy courses exist for the head and neck or extremities, and there is no course dedicated to lymphedema. Therefore, there is significant room to further align PS educational modalities to improve resident learning and assessment.

Comparing the emotional experiences of students in similar dissection- and prosection-based medical gross anatomy courses: A mixed-methods study.

The anatomy laboratory can incite strong emotional reactions in students, which can in turn facilitate growth in empathy, care for vulnerable others, and professionalism. Despite this, little is known about the relative emotional impacts of different laboratory modalities. The response to the COVID-19 pandemic created an opportunity to compare the emotional experiences of students in similar courses in which one group of students dissected donors and the other group learned from prosected donors. The courses were otherwise the same in content, length, instructional design, and assessment. Students in the dissection-based (Fall 2019) and prosection-based (Fall 2020) courses completed a previously validated survey that used quantitative and qualitative questions to assess their feelings about the donors and the anatomy laboratory experience. Students in both cohorts reported overall appreciation for having had the experience. Negative themes experienced by both groups included feeling anxiety, worries about depersonalizing donors, and physical discomfort in the laboratory. Students in the dissection course reported stronger connections with the donors and the donors' families but also more frequently felt negative feelings such as disgust, anxiety, and feeling alone. Students in the prosection course reported more consistently positive responses but worried about not using the donors to the fullest extent possible. Regardless of pedagogical design, students have complex emotional experiences in the anatomy laboratory and our results indicate that these feelings may be more intense in the context of dissection. Anatomists should foster educational settings that enable students to learn to process complex or challenging emotions.

The Development of Augmented Reality (AR) in Anatomy Course

The development of Augmented Reality (AR) media is the goal of this research. The research method used in this research activity is development research. This method is carried out in nine steps. Research data were collected through interviews, observation and questionnaires. The instruments used to measure the quality of teaching materials are assessments from material and media experts and student response questionnaires. Based on the validation results by learning media and material experts, the categories "Good", or 79.05% and "Very Good", or 87.67%, were obtained. In a small-scale trial involving ten students, 81.6% was obtained, while in a large group test involving 30 students, 88.8% was obtained. Student responses also showed satisfaction with the developed Augmented Reality (AR) media, namely the "very interesting" criterion. This research is limited to product revisions, and further research should consider mass products. This research has a novelty in learning media: Augmented Reality (AR) in anatomy courses.

Relationship between myocardial bridging and fatal ventricular arrhythmias in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: the HCM-MB study.

Myocardial bridging (MB) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) are associated with the risk of fatal ventricular arrhythmias (VAs). The goal of the study was to determine the relationship between MB and fatal VAs in HCM patients with implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICD). Atotal of 108 HCM patients (mean age: 46.6 ± 13.6years; male:73) were enrolled in this retrospective study. All patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography and coronary computed tomography angiography. Fatal VAs including sustained ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation were documented in ICD records. There were documented fatal VAs in 29 (26.8%) patients during amean follow-up time of 71.3 ± 30.9months. Compared with the other groups, the fatal VA group had a higher incidence of the following: presence of MB (82.8 vs. 38%, p < 0.001), deep MB (62.1 vs. 6.3%, p < 0.001), very deep MB (24.1 vs. 0%, p < 0.001), long MB (65.5 vs. 11.4%, p < 0.001), presence of > 1MB (17.2 vs. 0%, p = 0.001), and MB of the left anterior descending artery (79.3 vs. 17.7%, p < 0.001) . Sudden cardiac death (SCD) risk score (hazard ratio: 1.194; 95% CI: 1.071-1.330; p = 0.001) and presence of MB (hazard ratio: 3.815; 95% CI: 1.41-10.284; p = 0.008) were found to be independent predictors of fatal VAs in HCM patients. The current data suggest that the SCD risk score and presence of MB were independent risk factors for fatal VAs in patients with HCM. In addition to conventional risk factors, the coronary anatomical course can provide clinicians with valuable information when assessing the risk of fatal VAs in HCM patients.

Hybrid project-based learning for problem-solving skils and student creativity in plant anatomy and physiology courses

Problem solving and creativity skills are very important skills for students to face global challenges. This study aims to analyze the effect of the Hybrid project-based learning (HPBL) learning model on students' problem-solving skills and creativity. This research used a pretest-posttest non-equivalent control group design. The experiment was conducted March to October 2022. The essay test of problem-solving and creativity was applied to measure students' problem-solving skills and creativity. Data collection in this study was carried out using Google Form, Google Classroom, Google meet, and WhatsApp. Data analysis using SPSS version 23 software. The analysis of covariate (ANCOVA) analysis results showed that HPBL affected problem-solving skills and student creativity with a value of p&lt;0.005. The least significant difference (LSD) result was significantly different in improving problem-solving skills and creativity. The HPBL class gained the highest posttest score. Therefore, HPBL could be applicable to improve problem-solving skills and student creativity.

A mixed method analysis of student satisfaction with active learning techniques in an online graduate anatomy course: Consideration of demographics and previous course enrollment.

Online learning has become an essential part of mainstream higher education. With increasing enrollments in online anatomy courses, a better understanding of effective teaching techniques for the online learning environment is critical. Active learning has previously shown many benefits in face-to-face anatomy courses, including increases in student satisfaction. Currently, no research has measured student satisfaction with active learning techniques implemented in an online graduate anatomy course. This study compares student satisfaction across four different active learning techniques (jigsaw, team-learning module, concept mapping, and question constructing), with consideration of demographics and previous enrollment in anatomy and/or online courses. Survey questions consisted of Likert-style, multiple-choice, ranking, and open-ended questions that asked students to indicate their level of satisfaction with the active learning techniques. One hundred seventy Medical Science master's students completed the online anatomy course and all seven surveys. Results showed that students were significantly more satisfied with question constructing and jigsaw than with concept mapping and team-learning module. Additionally, historically excluded groups (underrepresented racial minorities) were generally more satisfied with active learning than non-minority groups. Age, gender, and previous experience with anatomy did not influence the level of satisfaction. However, students with a higher-grade point average (GPA), those with only a bachelor's degree, and those with no previous online course experience were more satisfied with active learning than students who had a lower GPA, those holding a graduate/professional degree, and those with previous online course experience. Cumulatively, these findings support the beneficial use of active learning in online anatomy courses.

Investigating correlations between the PAT and three hand-skill exercises to performance in preclinical laboratory courses.

Perceptual ability test (PAT) is a valid determinant for spatial perceptions. However, proven psychomotor skill tests for dentistry do not currently exist. This study aimed to determine whether performance on the PAT, Operation game, mirror tracing, and wax carving exercises correlate to preclinical laboratory performance in Dental Anatomy and Restorative Dentistry courses. First-year dental students (n=96) participated in the study. Final laboratory grades were obtained from course directors of preclinical Restorative Dentistry and Dental Anatomy courses. Admissions committee provided participants' PAT results. Participants completed a wax carving exercise by carving a cube and a semicircle into a wax block using the wax subtraction method. Two calibrated faculty graded the carvings as Ideal (5), Satisfactory (3), or Unsatisfactory (1). Time to complete the Operation game and number of infractions were recorded. Participants traced the six-pointed star pattern on the Auto Scoring Mirror Tracer instrument in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions. Completion times and number of instances outside the pattern were recorded. Spearman Rank Correlations were used to determine associations at 0.05 confidence interval. Mean PAT score was 21.7; mean times to complete the Operation game and mirror tracing exercise were 4:20 and 1:30, respectively. Mean score on the wax carving exercise was 3.19. Correlations between the independent and dependent variables were minimal to weak. The wax carving exercise was the most reliable predictor of performance. When PAT scores are striated into low (less than 20), middle (21-22), and high (23-30), it was possible to predict performance in both preclinical laboratory courses.

Media Pembelajaran Multimedia pada Mata Kuliah Anatomi Fisiologi Manusia

The use of laptops is generally to meet the needs of wireless communication and internet access. The use of Learning media are all forms of tools or facilities used in the learning process to help convey information or subject matter to students more effectively. The purpose of multimedia learning media in the human anatomy and physiology course is to increase understanding and retention of information, facilitate interaction and active involvement of students, and create a more interesting and enjoyable learning atmosphere. The research method used in this study is to use the R&amp;D method. The results of the analysis at the defining and design stages of the research found that the use of teaching materials in the learning process of human anatomy and physiology is currently still limited and does not fully meet the needs of students. Conclusion based on the research and development (R&amp;D) methods carried out, this research identifies the main problems in the learning process of human anatomy and physiology and proposes the development of multimedia teaching materials.

Impact of modified teaching strategies used in a gross anatomy course on the academic performance of dental students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Modified teaching strategies (MTS), asynchronous online teaching and smaller dissection groups, were applied to a gross anatomy course for dental students in the National Taiwan University in April 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to investigate the effects and perceptions of MTS on dental students. Scores for anatomy examinations for 2018-2019 (without MTS) and 2019-2020 (with MTS) cohorts were compared to explore the effect on academic performance. Moreover, questionnaire from the 2019-2020 cohort was analysed to determine dental students' perceptions about MTS. The lecture performance in the final examination of the second semester for the 2019-2020 cohort was significantly higher than that of the first semester (pre-COVID-19) and that for the 2018-2019 cohort. However, the laboratory performance in the midterm examination of the second semester for the 2019-2020 cohort was significantly lower than that for the 2018-2019 cohort and showed no difference in the final examination of the first semester. The questionnaires revealed that the majority of students displayed positive attitudes towards MTS and agreed with the importance of peer discussion during laboratory dissection. Asynchronous online learning for anatomy lecture may be beneficial for dental students; however, a smaller dissection group accompanied by reduced peer discussion may temporarily exert negative effects on their laboratory performance at the beginning of the application. Furthermore, more dental students exhibited positive perceptions towards smaller dissection groups. These findings could illuminate the learning condition of dental students in anatomy education.

OpNotes and Clinical Exercises: Activities to Enhance the Clinical Context of the Preclerkship Anatomy Dissection Laboratory.

Despite numerous pedagogical approaches and technologies now available for medical gross anatomy, students can find it difficult to translate what occurs in a dissection laboratory into the context of clinical practice. Using complementary and collaborative approaches at 2 different medical schools, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and University of Maryland (UM), we designed and implemented a series of clinical activities in the preclerkship medical gross anatomy laboratory that directly link dissected structures to clinical procedures. These activities specifically direct students to perform simulated clinically related procedures on anatomic donors during laboratory dissection sessions. The activities are called OpNotes at VCU and Clinical Exercises at UM. Each activity in the VCU OpNotes requires about 15 minutes of group activity at the end of a scheduled laboratory and involves faculty to grade the student responses submitted via a web-based-assessment form. Each exercise in UM Clinical Exercises also requires about 15 minutes of group activity during the schedule laboratory but does not involve faculty to complete grading. Cumulatively, the activities in OpNotes and Clinical Exercises both brought clinical context directly to anatomical dissections. These activities began in 2012 at UM and 2020 at VCU, allowing a multiyear and multi-institute development and testing of this innovative approach. Student participation was high, and perception of its effectiveness was almost uniformly positive. Future iterations of the program will work to assess the efficacy of the program as well as to streamline the scoring and delivery of the formative components. Collectively, we propose that the concept of executing clinic-like procedures on donors in anatomy courses is an effective means of enhancing learning in the anatomy laboratory while concurrently underscoring the relevance of basic anatomy to future clinical practice.