Complementing anatomy education using three‐dimensional anatomy mobile software applications on tablet computers

Abstract

Anatomy has traditionally been a cornerstone of medical education, which has been taught via dissection and didactic lectures. The rising prevalence of mobile tablet technology means medical software applications ("apps") play an increasingly important role in medical education. The applications highlighted in this article will aid anatomical educators to identify which are the most useful in clinical, academic, and educational environments. These have been systematically identified by downloading all applications with keywords related to anatomy and then carrying out qualitative assessment. Novel anatomy applications from developers such as Visible Body, 3D4Medical, and Pocket Anatomy allow students to visualize and manipulate complex anatomical structures using detailed 3D models. They often contain additional content including clinical correlations and a range of media from instructional videos to interactive quiz functions. The strength of tablet technology lies in its ability to consolidate and present anatomical information to the user in the most appropriate manner for their learning style. The only question mark remains over the level of detail and accuracy of these applications. Innovative medical educators who embrace tablet technology will find that anatomy applications serve as a useful learning tool when used in conjunction with existing teaching setups.

Effects of Mobile Learning in Medical Education: A Counterfactual Evaluation

“…Some authors [31] indicate that increased cell phone use is associated with decreased academic performance. Others [32] report that there are some problems associated with the use of these devices as cost or security and they claim that there is no evidence enough to know if these type of apps are adequate to fulfill the anatomic curriculum concepts. Due to these reasons, it is important to evaluate and assess them.…”

Can Virtual Dissection Replace Traditional Hands-on Dissection in School Biology Laboratory Work?

“…However, mixed learning outcomes and preferences of teachers and students are reported in studies. The main critique in using virtual worlds goes toward levels of details and accuracy of representation of real specimens (Lewis, Burnett, Tunstall, & Abrahams, 2014). Students often perceived the virtual dissection as a suitable teaching complement.…”

“…With greater computer power and their availability in schools as stationary and mobile technology new applications can complement or replace existing laboratory practices (Akpan, & Andre, 2000;Lewis, Burnett, Tunstall, & Abrahams, 2014;Sugand, Abrahams, & Khurana, 2010;Šorgo, Hajdinjak, & Briški, 2008;Špernjak & Šorgo, 2017b). This exploratory research was focused on the position of hands-on and virtual dissection among Biology teachers in Czech Republic, and to find differences among both practices.…”

Anatomicis Network: Una Plataforma de Software Educativa basada en la Nube para Mejorar la Enseñanza de la Anatomía en la Educación Médica

“…Por otro lado, la irrupción de las tecnologías móviles como teléfonos inteligentes y tablets, y el uso de aplicaciones descargables han adquirido un rol cada vez más protagónico en la educación en general y en los estudios médicos en particular (Farfán et al, 2016), demostrando su utilidad para el aprendizaje de diferentes temas morfológicos, particularmente cuando se complementan con métodos prác-ticos tradicionales como disecciones y/o prosecciones anatómicas (Lewis et al, 2014). En efecto, experiencias docentes recientes señalan que el aprendizaje de anatomía asistido con tablets facilita el logro de los objetivos instruccionales y mejora la eficacia y eficiencia educativa de la disección anatómica (Turney, 2007;Mayfield et al, 2013;Stewart & Choudhury, 2015;Raney, 2016).…”