Creating evidence‐based engaging online learning resources in neuroanatomy

Abstract

Online anatomical resources are rising in popularity since the COVID‐19 pandemic, but the pedagogical principles and effectiveness of their use remain unclear. This article aims to demonstrate evidence‐informed ways in which fellow educators can create engaging online learning resources in clinical neuroanatomy and compare the effectiveness of text‐based and online learning resources. Data were analyzed from the Soton Brain Hub (SBH) YouTube page. Separately, a cross‐sectional study comparing the learning gain of using text‐based and video resources was done. The knowledge gain and retention were compared between groups using a pre‐teaching and post‐teaching multiple choice questions. YouTube analytics showed the average time a viewer spends on a video was found to be highly correlated to the length of the video, r = 0.77, p < 0.001 (0.69–0.82). The cross‐sectional study indicated a significant difference in mean normalized learning gain of video resources 61.9% (n = 53, CI 56.0–67.7%) versus text resources 49.6% (n = 23, CI 39.1–60.1%) (p = 0.030). However, there was no difference in retained learning gain between video resources 39.1% (n = 29, CI 29.2–49.0%) versus text‐based 40.0% (n = 13, CI 23.9–56.1%) (p = 0.919). Students engage most with short videos less than 5 min which reduces the intrinsic load of learning. Online resources are as effective as text‐based resources in providing learning gain and retention. In the future, the continued rise in popularity of online learning resources may result in further reduction in traditional face‐to‐face teaching.