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Tablets in the Gross Anatomy and Neuroanatomy Labs: Quick and Dirty Can Work
Author(s) -
Druzinsky Robert,
Doubleday Alison
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.29.1_supplement.209.5
Subject(s) - neuroanatomy , gross anatomy , blackboard (design pattern) , session (web analytics) , class (philosophy) , medical education , computer science , multimedia , psychology , medical physics , medicine , anatomy , world wide web , artificial intelligence , software engineering
In the past five years there have been major changes in the education of students in the College of Dentistry. These changes include an emphasis on student‐centered, small group learning (Crawford et. al., 2007), smaller cohort sizes; use of iPads in the gross anatomy lab (Doubleday, 2014); and distribution of iPad Minis to all students. In past years, students in the neuroanatomy lab were given a lab manual and access to textbooks and atlases. This year faculty began to utilize software to create online learning modules for didactic, as well as gross anatomy and neuroanatomy lab sessions. The lab manual was supplemented with a self‐guided tutorial (SoftChalk © ) in the Blackboard © course site. For each gross anatomy lab session and for select didactic sessions, students were also provided with a self‐guided tutorial (SoftChalk © ) to complete prior to class. In response to student requests for self‐guided instruction materials for the neuroanatomy lab, brains were photographed using a cellphone, and images were labeled and made available to students for use during subsequent labs and for study outside of class. Although faculty anticipated that image and video quality achievable on mobile devices would not be good enough to encourage adequate learning, various measures indicate that student outcomes are improving. Scores for the neuroanatomy portion of the basic sciences course in 2014 were significantly higher than in 2013. Scores on anatomy lab practical exams have risen steadily over the past three years, and students have achieved a 100 percent pass rate on the National Board Part I for the past three years. This presentation outlines strategies, challenges, and benefits of including mobile‐accessible learning materials that are “quick and dirty” but good enough.