Production and assessment of usefulness of interactive 2-D and stereoscopic 3-D videos as tools for anatomic dissection preparation and examination review
Abstract
Laboratory is an integral part of a gross anatomy course in which students have their first in–depth dissection experience and explore structure-function relationships. Students arrive in the course that requires acquisition of a large vocabulary and visual imagery with scant prior knowledge. Even with extensive preparation on their part, the task is so difficult that students rely heavily on help from peers, teaching assistants, and instructors to gain the best from laboratory time. In recognition of the complexity of the learning task and the limitation on the amount of help available, this research was conducted to explore the value of educational tools that could enhance learning, make time in the laboratory more profitable, and decrease dependency on peers, teaching assistants, and instructors. Because anatomy is a highly visually based discipline, it was reasoned that interactive high definition videos with verbal descriptions of dissections would enhance the learning process. High definition videos of dissections were produced in 2–D and stereoscopic 3–D formats and compared with the standard dissection guide as tools for laboratory preparation. Stereoscopic 3–D format was included because of the hypothesis that the depth it provides might help students more readily grasp the relationships of structures to each other. Timing, duration, and tools provided to interact with the various formats varied with the experiment. The videos consisted of short presentations (10–14 minutes) of dissection steps or reviews of relationships of structures and were self–paced so they could be viewed more than once. Questions to encourage interaction with the materials were integrated into the videos and supplied with the Guide. Depending on the experiment, data collected included performance on paper and practical examinations, dissection quality, and frequency of requests for help in addition to surveys designed to assess ease of use and acceptance of the various presentation modes. Results presented in the thesis indicate that videos were superior to the guide in helping students prepare for dissection and develop understanding of the assigned body structures and their relationships. With the reservation that mode of 3–D delivery may play a role, 2–D videos were usually rated more positively than 3–D videos in student opinions. Both types of videos improved performance on various assessments and received more positive feedback when compared to the laboratory manual. This research confirmed the basic hypothesis that videos are effective tools for use in anatomy education and that they are worthy of significant investment of resources to help overcome some of the challenges facing anatomy educators.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Coppoc, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Educational technology|Science education|Higher education|Veterinary services
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