Less is more: Development and evaluation of an interactive e‐atlas to support anatomy learning

An Interactive electronic Atlas (IeA) was developed to assist first‐year nursing students with interpretation of laboratory‐based prosected cadaveric material. It was designed, using pedagogically sound principles, as a student‐centered resource accessible to students from a wide range of learning backgrounds. It consisted of a highly simplified interactive interface limited to essential anatomical structures and was intended for use in a blended learning situation. The IeA's nine modules mirrored the body systems covered in a Nursing Biosciences course, with each module comprising a maximum of 10 pages using the same template: an image displaying a cadaveric specimen and, in most cases, a corresponding anatomical model with navigation panes (menus) on one side. Cursor movement over the image or clicking the menu highlighted the structure with a transparent overlay and revealed a succinct functional description. The atlas was complemented by a multiple‐choice database of nearly 1,000 questions using IeA images. Students' perceptions of usability and utility were measured by survey ( n = 115; 57% of the class) revealing mean access of 2.3 times per week during the 12‐week semester and a median time of three hours of use. Ratings for usability and utility were high, with means ranging between 4.24 and 4.54 (five‐point Likert scale; 5 = strongly agree). Written responses told a similar story for both usability and utility. The role of providing basic computer‐assisted learning support for a large first‐year class is discussed in the context of current research into student‐centered resources and blended learning in human anatomy. Anat Sci Educ 8: 126–132. © 2014 American Association of Anatomists.