Measuring learning gain: Comparing anatomy drawing screencasts and paper‐based resources

The aim of this study was to provide a better understanding of the main difficulties hindering undergraduate biology students in learning histology. The study utilized a selfadministered questionnaire which included three closed-ended and two open-ended questions: (1) if students had difficulty in learning about each tissue type;(2) what might be the problem in learning about the tissue at hand; (3) which topics were the most difficult; (4) what were the possible reasons that made image identification of tissue types difficult; and (5) how to improve the course curriculum from a student perspective. The survey was administered to 139 undergraduate biology students enrolled in a histology course, of which 101 surveys were completed and analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The topics that students experienced the most difficulties with were: nervous tissue, plant tissues, bone tissues, and glandular epithelial tissue. The main reasons students experienced difficulties with these tissue types, according to the students themselves, were the nature of the topic, grasping the terminology used, and insufficient teaching time. Students suggested the adoption of strategies such as: teaching based on practical tasks; reducing the content of the histology curriculum; adding anatomy subjects; and making histology education more interesting. Anat Sci Educ 12:541-549.

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 61%

Students’ Views on Difficulties in Learning Histology

Garcı́a

Victory

Navarro‐Sempere

et al. 2018

“…From the studies that reported a 1b level of evaluation, the majority (57.6%; 19 of 33) deployed a pretest and post‐test methodology using controlled conditions to limit the influence of any confounding variables on test scores (e.g., Tan et al, ; Stirling and Birt, ; Pickering, ). Other methods included the use of post‐test data alone (36.4%; 12 of 33) (e.g., Bogacki et al, ; Chan et al, ), the individual's existing GPA as a measure of baseline knowledge (3.0%; 1 of 33) (Hallgren et al, ), or other subjective measures, such as a drawing test (3.0%; 1 of 33) (Das and Mitchell, ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Other methods included the use of post‐test data alone (36.4%; 12 of 33) (e.g., Bogacki et al, ; Chan et al, ), the individual's existing GPA as a measure of baseline knowledge (3.0%; 1 of 33) (Hallgren et al, ), or other subjective measures, such as a drawing test (3.0%; 1 of 33) (Das and Mitchell, ). Variations in the approach to conducting this level of evaluation was observed, with randomized control approaches using a control group and either one (e.g., Levinson et al, ; Pickering, ) or two (Hopkins et al, ) experimental groups. Furthermore, crossover study designs were also reported with a pretest and post‐test deployed either side of a teaching intervention, and students then permitted to experience the alternative intervention (e.g., Allen et al, ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This changing approach to anatomy education delivery is underpinned by a number of multifactorial drivers, including: the availability and logistics of cadaveric resources (McLachlan et al, ; McLachlan and Patten, ), the relevance of anatomy in a modern and expanding medical curriculum (Cottam, ; McKeown et al, ; Turney, ; Louw et al, ), increasing student numbers, decreasing available curriculum time to teach the required anatomy, and pedagogical approaches (Heylings, ; Drake et al, ; Bergman et al, ; Drake et al, ; Freeman et al, ; Chen et al, ). This change in anatomy education approach has been long‐standing and can be tracked back to the introduction of the personal computer (PC) almost 30 years ago (Trelease, ), with great strides being made since, including: two‐dimensional (2D) and three‐dimensional (3D) applications (Evans, ; Lewis et al, ; Pickering, ), eBooks (Mayfield et al, ; Stirling and Birt, ; Pickering, ; Stewart and Choudhury, ), social media (Jaffar, ; Raikos and Waidyasekara, ; Hennessy et al, ; Pickering and Bickerdike, ) lecture webcasts (Vaccani et al, ), 3D printing of replica specimens (McMenamin et al, ; O'Reilly et al, ), discussion fora (Choudhury and Gouldsborough, ; Green et al, ) massive open online courses (MOOCs; Reinders and de Jong, ; Swinnerton et al, ), and virtual and augmented reality (Moro et al, ), all becoming established mediums through which anatomy content can be delivered. This diffusion of innovation into higher education can be observed alongside changing approaches to curriculum design with the increasing use of active learning techniques (Freeman et al, ) and flipped classrooms (Chen et al, ) enabled by such TEL resources.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

How comprehensive are research studies investigating the efficacy of technology‐enhanced learning resources in anatomy education? A systematic review

Clunie

Morris

Joynes

et al. 2017

Self Cite

Anatomy education is at the forefront of integrating innovative technologies into its curricula. However, despite this rise in technology numerous authors have commented on the shortfall in efficacy studies to assess the impact such technology-enhanced learning (TEL) resources have on learning. To assess the range of evaluation approaches to TEL across anatomy education, a systematic review was conducted using MEDLINE, the Educational Resources Information Centre (ERIC), Scopus, and Google Scholar, with a total of 3,345 articles retrieved. Following the PRISMA method for reporting items, 153 articles were identified and reviewed against a published framework-the technology-enhanced learning evaluation model (TELEM). The model allowed published reports to be categorized according to evaluations at the level of (1) learner satisfaction, (2) learning gain, (3) learner impact, and (4) institutional impact. The results of this systematic review reveal that most evaluation studies into TEL within anatomy curricula were based on learner satisfaction, followed by module or course learning outcomes. Randomized controlled studies assessing learning gain with a specific TEL resource were in a minority, with no studies reporting a comprehensive assessment on the overall impact of introducing a specific TEL resource (e.g., return on investment). This systematic review has provided clear evidence that anatomy education is engaged in evaluating the impact of TEL resources on student education, although it remains at a level that fails to provide comprehensive causative evidence. Anat Sci Educ 11: 303-319. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.

“…Touch could be considered in the same way as one of a number of senses that contributes to the development of mental “schemata.” Pickering () applied these theories by examining the learning gain that is made when using technology‐enhanced learning (TEL) resources, which he states is now a common tool across a variety of health care programs. The change in learning gains observed with anatomy drawing screencasts was measured in comparison to a traditional paper‐based resource (Pickering, ). The results at all test points revealed a significant increase in learning gain and large effect sizes for the screencast group compared to the textbook group.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How Haptics and Drawing Enhance the Learning of Anatomy

Reid

Shapiro

Louw

2018

Students' engagement with two-dimensional (2D) representations as opposed to three-dimensional (3D) representations of anatomy such as in dissection, is significant in terms of the depth of their comprehension. This qualitative study aimed to understand how students learned anatomy using observational and drawing activities that included touch, called haptics. Five volunteer second year medical students at the University of Cape Town participated in a six-day educational intervention in which a novel "haptico-visual observation and drawing" (HVOD) method was employed. Data were collected through individual interviews as well as a focus group discussion. The HVOD method was successfully applied by all the participants, who reported an improvement of their cognitive understanding and memorization of the 3D form of the anatomical part. All the five participants described the development of a "mental picture" of the object as being central to "deep learning." The use of the haptic senses coupled with the simultaneous act of drawing enrolled sources of information that were reported by the participants to have enabled better memorization. We postulate that the more sources of information about an object, the greater degree of complexity could be appreciated, and therefore the more clearly it could be captured and memorized. The inclusion of haptics has implications for cadaveric dissection versus non-cadaveric forms of learning. This study was limited by its sample size as well as the bias and position of the researchers, but the sample of five produced a sufficient amount of data to generate a conceptual model and hypothesis.