Students’ Perceptions and Usage of Short Anatomy Videos: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

STRKALJ, G.; HULME, A.; EL-HADDAD, J.; LUO, K.; CRAFFORD, D. & RAMPE, M. Students' perceptions and usage of short anatomy videos: A preliminary study. Int. J. Morphol., 36(2):493-499, 2018. SUMMARY:The efficacy of videos in anatomy education is still being debated. It appears that one of the major factors discouraging learners to use videos has been their length. To counteract this, 24 short videos (the longest lasting 1 minute and 13 seconds), were created for a course on musculoskeletal anatomy. Videos focused on identification of muscles of the limbs and their relations by area. The aim of this preliminary study was to assess students' perception of value of the videos and their utilisation. The number of views for each video was recorded. A questionnaire based survey was carried out focusing on students' perception of the educational usefulness of the videos. On average, each video had 339.5 views. Out of 312 students enrolled in the course, 210 completed the survey (67.3 % response rate). A total of 181 respondents (86.2 %) watched the videos and a majority perceived them useful in: Learning about the anatomy of the limbs (68 %), preparation for the laboratory (56.9 %), post-laboratory revision (65.6 %) and preparation for the practical test (66.3 %). Asked for feedback, students requested an increase in the number of videos to include structures other than muscles. Students reported to perceive videos as a useful resource in their musculoskeletal anatomy course. The shortness of the videos made them easy to access and use repeatedly. Future, more in-depth studies, based on the utilisation of the existing and newly produced videos, might throw more light on their full educational potential.KEY WORDS: Anatomical sciences education; Musculoskeletal anatomy; Videos; Human gross anatomy. STRKALJ, G.; HULME, A.; EL-HADDAD, J.; LUO, K.; CRAFFORD, D. & RAMPE, M. Students' perceptions and usage of short anatomy videos: A preliminary study.

Teaching Musculoskeletal Module using dissection videos: feedback from medical students

“…The investigators used self recorded videos, ranging from 14 s to 1 min 13 s, to identify muscles of the limbs and their relations by area. They reported that the shortness of the videos made them easy accessible to the students and that they could use them repeatedly [ 19 ]. Most students valued the presence of an instructor during (83%) (236/284) and after (85%) (241/284) watching the videos.…”

“…For these reasons and many more, some researchers, educators, and even students believe that using dissection alone is insufficient to learn anatomy, and that incorporating other educational tools is advantageous, or even required [ 7 , 16 – 18 ]. It is interesting to note that the use of additional educational resources is not exactly a brand new concept, since “motion picture” tools have been utilized since as far back as the 1970 s in the form of VHS tapes that then progressed to CD Roms and eventually the multiple video tools that are available today [ 19 ]. While the debate is still ongoing, many medical schools have opted to put dissection on hold due to the increased number of students, the shortage of time, cadavers, and qualified staff.…”

Mexican Educators Survey on Anatomical Sciences Education and a Review of World Tendencies

“…Their students performed dissections and used prosected bodies, also incorporating anatomical variations research that included dissections, histological techniques, imaging, and other activities (Kagan, 2002). There has been a clear shift in medical education around the world from a traditional teacher-centered education to a student-centered education, in which technology and innovation play a major role (Pawlina, 2009;Tam et al, 2009;Papa and Vaccarezza, 2013;Singh and Kharb, 2013;Strkalj et al, 2018). Studies from Latin American countries and Spain have reported the implementation of technological tools in medical education (Cotta, 2012;Tay et al, 2014;de Faria et al, 2016;Nuñez Ricardo, 2017;Cabrera et al, 2019;Tiznado-Matzner et al, 2019).…”

“…The use of integrated curriculum continues to prevail in the improvement and efficacy of medical education, in combination with new interactive and technologic approaches (Drake et al, 2009). With the tendency to reduce the total number of hours (Drake et al, 2009), anatomical courses have included different pedagogic techniques (Elizondo‐Omaña, 2004; Sugand et al, 2010; Losco et al, 2017), problem‐based learning (Huitt et al, 2014), a clinical approach (Leveritt et al, 2016; McBride and Drake, 2018), review of imaging studies (Grignon et al, 2016), use of ultrasound (Sadler et al, 2018), online platforms (Vázquez et al, 2007), videos (Jaffar, 2012; Barry et al, 2016; Strkalj et al, 2018), virtual and augmented reality (Dee and Meyerholz, 2007; Petersson et al, 2009; Wilson et al, 2016; Moro et al, 2017), and three‐dimensional (3D) modeling/printing (Vernon and Peckham, 2002; Smith et al, 2018), among others. Each school appears to have implemented the methods that best align with their objectives and their available resources.…”

Australian chiropractors’ perception of the clinical relevance of anatomical sciences and adequacy of teaching in chiropractic curricula

“…To date, there exists little information on chiropractors' perceived relevance and adequacy of their anatomy education to their clinical practice. Previous research exploring pre-professional anatomy education within chiropractic programs confirmed considerable investment in anatomy teaching resources [8,11,13] but provided little insight into chiropractors' perceptions of the usefulness of these teaching tools. Determining chiropractors' perceptions of these tools will assist to develop anatomy curricula appropriate for chiropractic clinical practice.…”