Effects of image-based and text-based activities on student learning outcomes (original) (raw)
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Anatomical sciences education, 2017
Research on the benefits of visual learning has relied primarily on lecture-based pedagogy, but the potential benefits of combining active learning strategies with visual and verbal materials on learning anatomy has not yet been explored. In this study, the differential effects of text-based and image-based active learning exercises on examination performance were investigated in a functional anatomy course. Each class session was punctuated with an average of 12 text-based and image-based active learning exercises. Participation data from 231 students were compared with their examination performance on 262 questions associated with the in-class exercises. Students also rated the helpfulness and difficulty of the in-class exercises on a survey. Participation in the active learning exercises was positively correlated with examination performance (r = 0.63, P < 0.001). When controlling for other key demographics (gender, underrepresented minority status) and prior grade point avera...
The effectiveness of using interactives on students in a high school human anatomy classroom
2011
My students have a difficult time staying attentive for long periods of lecture which leads to declining test scores. This project examines the integration of various interactive and visual activities to a traditional lecture-based high school anatomy class. The effects on short-term comprehension as well as long-term understanding along with student engagement and interest were studied. The effects of instructor comfort were also considered. This project made additions to the traditional lecture that was already being used in a high school Human Anatomy class in a small rural school in Iowa. The additions included podcasts, multiple pictures, short videos imbedded in the PowerPoint lectures, games used with iTouches, Webquests on the computer, and full length videos. Data were collected using preunit, postunit, and delayed assessments to determine student long-term and short-term comprehension. Also included were interviews of students and an on-line survey of students. The student interviews and an on-line survey were used along with an on-task checklist was used to gauge student engagement and student interest. In order to address instructor comfort, an instructor journal was used along with an interview and instructor assessment. The data indicate positive results as to students' short-term understanding and long-term retention of concepts. There was also an increase in student engagement and student understanding during the treatment units. Finally, there was an increase in instructor's comfort level during the treatment units.
Anatomical Sciences Education, 2020
Anatomical examinations have been designed to assess topographical and/or applied knowledge of anatomy with or without the inclusion of visual resources such as cadaveric specimens or images, radiological images, and/or clinical photographs. Multimedia learning theories have advanced the understanding of how words and images are processed during learning. However, the evidence of the impact of including anatomical and radiological images within written assessments is sparse. This study investigates the impact of including images within clinically oriented single-best-answer questions on students' scores in a tailored online tool. Second-year medical students (n = 174) from six schools in the United Kingdom participated voluntarily in the examination, and 55 students provided free-text comments which were thematically analyzed. All questions were categorized as to whether their stimulus format was purely textual or included an associated image. The type (anatomical and radiological image) and deep structure of images (question referring to a bone or soft tissue on the image) were taken into consideration. Students scored significantly better on questions with images compared to questions without images (P < 0.001), and on questions referring to bones than to soft tissue (P < 0.001), but no difference was found in their performance on anatomical and radiological image questions. The coding highlighted areas of "test applicability" and "challenges faced by the students." In conclusion, images are critical in medical practice for investigating a patient's anatomy, and this study sets out a way to understand the effects of images on students' performance and their views in commonly employed written assessments. Anat Sci Educ 0: 1-10.
Background: Students often strategically adopt surface approaches to learning anatomy in order to pass this necessarily content-heavy subject. The consequence of this approach, without understanding and contextualisation, limits transfer of anatomical knowledge to clinical applications. Encouraging deep approaches to learning is challenging in the current environment of lectures and laboratory-based practica. A novel interactive anatomy workshop was proposed in an attempt to address this issue. Methods: This workshop comprised of body painting, clay modelling, white-boarding and quizzes, and was undertaken by 66 health science students utilising their preferred learning styles. Performance was measured prior to the workshop at the mid-semester examination and after the workshop at the end-semester examination. Differences between mid-and end-semester performances were calculated and compared between workshop attendees and non-attendees. Baseline, post-workshop and follow-up surveys were administered to identify learning styles, goals for attendance, useful aspects of the workshop and self-confidence ratings. Results: Workshop attendees significantly improved their performance compared to non-attendees (p = 0.001) despite a difference at baseline (p = 0.05). Increased self-confidence was reported by the attendees (p < 0.001). To optimise their learning, 97 % of attendees reported utilising multi-modal learning styles. Five main goals for participating in the workshop included: understanding, strategic engagement, examination preparation, memorisation and increasing self-confidence. All attendees reported achieving these goals. The most useful components of the workshop were body painting and clay modelling. Conclusions: This interactive workshop improved attendees' examination performance and promoted engaged-enquiry and deeper learning. This tool accommodates varied learning styles and improves self-confidence, which may be a valuable supplement to traditional anatomy teaching.
The Effect of Content Delivery Style on Student Performance in Anatomy
Anatomical Sciences Education, 2018
The development of new technologies and ensuing pedagogical research has led many tertiary institutions to integrate and adopt online learning strategies. The authors of this study have incorporated online learning strategies into existing educational practices of a second year anatomy course, resulting in half of the course content delivered via face-toface lectures, and half delivered online via tailored video vignettes, with accompanying worksheets and activities. The effect of the content delivery mode on student learning was analyzed by tailoring questions to content presented either face-to-face or online. Four practical tests were conducted across the semester with each consisting of four questions. Within each test, two questions were based on content delivered face-to-face, and two questions were based on content delivered online. Examination multiple choice questions were similarly divided and assessed. Findings indicate that student learning is consistent regardless of the mode of content delivery. However, student viewing habits had a significant impact on learning, with students who viewed videos multiple times achieving higher marks than those less engaged with the online content. Student comments also indicated that content delivery mode was not an influence on learning. Therefore student engagement, rather than the mode of content delivery, is a determinant of student learning and performance in human anatomy. Anat Sci Educ 00: 000-000. V C 2018 American Association of Anatomists.
Teaching anatomy using an active and engaging learning strategy
BMC Medical Education
Background: Various evidence-based and student-centered strategies such as team-based learning (TBL), casebased learning (CBL), and flipped classroom have been recently applied to anatomy education and have shown to improve student engagement and interaction. These strategies shift the focus of teaching from knowledge transmission to knowledge construction by students and encourage the use of tasks. This study discusses the use of an active and engaging learning strategy to teach the musculoskeletal system to Year 1 MBBS students (Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados) and examines the correlation between assessment modalities and student performance. Methods: The "Active and Engaging Learning Strategy" was used to assess student learning in the form of oral presentations. Students had presentations on muscle attachments, muscle actions, blood and nerve supply, and applied anatomy of the limb musculature. Questions on the limbs (Locomotor System) were included in pre and postpresentation spotters, in-course assessments, and final examinations. Percentages, paired t-test, independent sample ttest, and zero-order correlations were performed to confirm the results for the different objectives of the study. Results: The main modes of presentation chosen were poems (37.1%), followed by stories (21.2%), songs (11.4%), and skits (10.6%). The majority of students (84%) found the strategies beneficial and recommended such sessions for future cohorts (92%). Students achieved significantly better scores in post-presentation spotters (p < 0.01) and the marks of incourse and final examinations also showed significant improvement (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Our study highlighted that the active and engaging learning strategy can be used as an effective learning tool in anatomy. Students were proactive in preparing the muscle presentations by utilizing their own creativity, curiosity, and intelligence. Further studies should be conducted using randomized controlled trials to assess the effectiveness of various learning strategies which could open a new door to medical education.
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, 2006
Background. In this study, we compared the educational value of a multimedia module about aortic valve replacement as a preparation for the operating room with a print medium of identical content. Methods. One hundred twenty-six students were randomly assigned in a prospective study to either use the multimedia course (n ؍ 69) or a print version (n ؍ 57). A 20-item multiple-choice test was performed before and after learning with the respective medium. Both groups participated in an operation during which they were evaluated with 28 standardized tasks and questions. Individual motivation, computer literacy, and didactic quality of both media were assessed with psychometric tests. Results. There were no significant differences in the multiple-choice pretest (multimedia, 30.6% ؎ 12.4% versus print, 27.9% ؎ 11.4%) and posttest responses (multimedia, 76.7% ؎ 13.3% versus print, 76.9% ؎ 11.1). Mean percentage of correct answers during the operation was 82.9% ؎ 10% in the online group and 64.7% ؎ 12% in the print group (p < 0.0001). The multimedia group needed significantly (p < 0.001) less study time (105 ؎ 24 minutes) when compared with the text group (122 ؎ 30 minutes). There were no statistically significant differences in motivation, computer literacy, and didactic quality of either medium. Conclusions. Regarding factual knowledge, there is no difference between multimedia-driven learning and a print medium. During heart operations, when understanding of complex temporal and spatial events is essential, students' performance is significantly improved by multimedia-enhanced teaching. The latter further proved to be more efficient in terms of study time.
Using computer-based interactive imagery strategies for designing instructional anatomy programs
Clinical Anatomy, 2005
In an effort to design and implement effective anatomy educational programs, this study was conducted to evaluate students' perceptions toward using two computer-based self-directed instructional modules (e.g., digestive system and canine skull) that were designed utilizing interactive imagery strategy for teaching and learning veterinary anatomy. Sixty-eight freshmen veterinary students and one graduate student participated in this study. Open-ended and close-ended questionnaires were administered to evaluate the utilization of computer-based interactive imagery strategy in developing anatomy instructional programs, and to collect data about the students' perceptions toward the use of interactive images in teaching and learning of anatomy. Means and standard deviations were calculated and analyzed for close-ended items. The open-ended questionnaire items were analyzed to identify shared patterns or themes in the students' experience after using the two instructional anatomy modules. Students reported positive attitudes toward the interactive imagery strategy used in the development of computer-based anatomy modules. Based on our findings, this study outlines the characteristics of effective instructional images that will serve as guidelines for the preparation and selection of anatomical images, as well as, how to utilize these images to develop computer-based instructional anatomy programs. Students perceived interactive imagery as an effective design strategy that helped them learn anatomical concepts. Clin.
International Journal of Medical Education, 2016
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate how students perceived their learning experience when combining traditional anatomy lectures with preparatory elearning activities that consisted of fill-in-the-blank assignments, videos, and multiple-choice quizzes. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted to explore changes in study behaviour and perception of learning. Three group interviews with students were conducted and thematically analysed. Results: Data was categorized into four themes: 1. Approaching the course material, 2. Understanding the material, 3. Consolidating the material, and 4. Perceived learning outcome. Students appreciated the clear structure of the course, and reported that online activities encouraged them towards a first engagement with the material. They felt that they were more active during in-class sessions, described self-study before the end-of-term exam as easier, and believed that contents would remain in their memories for a longer time. Conclusions: By adjusting already existing resources, lectures can be combined fairly easily and cost-effectively with preparatory e-learning activities. The creation of online components promote well-structured courses, can help minimize 'student passivity' as a characteristic element of lectures, and can support students in distributing their studies throughout the term, thus suggesting enhanced learning. Further research work should be designed to confirm the afore-mentioned findings through objective measurements of student learning outcomes.