Veterinary anatomy teaching from real to virtual reality: An unprecedented shift during COVID‐19 in socially distant era

Abstract

Teaching Veterinary Anatomy in a virtual world is an utmost requirement of the ongoing era of COVID‐19 pandemic. Due to sudden lockdown, all the educational institutes, professional medical and veterinary colleges were closed (except emergency services) and academic activities were suspended altogether. This situation was challenging as well as thought‐provoking for various academicians and professors to rethink about the means to keep the conduit of imparting education unceasing. This review focuses on the virtual reality aids that are being adopted worldwide and the initiatives taken by academicians during this era to impart best practical anatomy lessons yet being in a socially distant world. However, during the lockdown and social distancing, face‐to face interactions were not feasible, and therefore, number of distant learning methods were created on virtual platforms for continuing the process of teaching veterinary anatomy closer to reality available at their doorsteps where academic staff was actively involved to reconstruct and renovate resources, upgraded their digital competencies to develop new ways to shift from one on one and merged to remote online teaching, and anatomy teaching was transformed to an abrupt ‘virtual mode’. Adopting virtual reality (VR) aids such as 3D animations, software packages, virtual dissections and E‐museum serves as a great saviour throughout this unprecedented pandemic in a socially distant world to continue the teaching connexion.

Has pedagogy, technology, and Covid‐19 killed the face‐to‐face lecture?

“…A number of educators will already have the necessary skills to deliver on these requirements (and probably already are); however, it will be important to provide enablement to those educators who have not yet engaged with such changes or pedagogical approaches. Covid‐19 demonstrated that anatomy educators can respond quickly, effectively and often innovatively in the face of disruption and challenge (Alkhowailed et al, 2020 ; Byrnes et al, 2021 ; Kapoor & Singh, 2022 ). However, institutions will need to actively provide informed, sustained and resourced guidance, training, and support (including time) to all educators if transformative change is to occur.…”

GAMIFICATION OF ANATOMY TEACHING: strategies for remote study of anatomy

“…Gamification is a term translated into Portuguese that has English origin, gamification, being a term referring to the use of "games" elements in the learning context (COSTA et al, 2020), in order to motivate individuals in a more relaxed way of teaching, making that through the gameplay it can also provide knowledge in a fun way, changing a little the view that teaching is difficult and complicated to understand. The utilizing different virtual methods of learning veterinary anatomy like virtual dissections, E-museum, 3D digital models or animations on virtual classroom platforms serves as a great saviour throughout this unprecedented pandemic, most importantly in prevailing socially distant world to continue the teaching connexion (KAPOOR and SINGH, 2022).…”

New virtual platform for teaching comparative animal neuroanatomy based on metameric slices of the central nervous system

“…The dissection practice allows for an enhancement of fine motor abilities, teamwork and the merging of theoretical knowledge with real life anatomical alteration, topography and contact with cadavers, a very important skill in the veterinary medicine (Flack & Nicholson, 2018; Ghosh, 2017; Hildebrant, 2019; Krähenbühl et al, 2017; Lempp, 2005; Moore, 1998; Ross et al, 2020). The practicality and handiness allowed by digital resources serve as good complementary didactic tools; however, it is important to highlight that these resources should not substitute dissection, prospecting, or active and practical study with real parts (Cuschieri & Calleja, 2020; Darras et al, 2019; Estai & Bunt, 2016; Guevar, 2020; Harmon et al, 2021; Hennessy & Smith, 2020; Iwanaga et al, 2021; Jones, 2019; Kapoor & Singh, 2022; Keenan & Awadh, 2019; Naidoo et al, 2020; Onigbinde et al, 2021; Totlis et al, 2021).…”