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Spatial ability and learning anatomy
Author(s) -
Smith Claire
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.348.4
Subject(s) - perception , tracking (education) , human anatomy , health professionals , medicine , medical education , psychology , anatomy , health care , pedagogy , neuroscience , economics , economic growth
Understanding how spatial ability relates to learning anatomy is important in developing safe doctors and health care professionals. This study brings together three separate projects. Project 1 involved a series of spatial ability experiments on medical students (n=30) and doctors (n=20) at the University of Southampton, UK. It aimed to explore if spatial ability could be trained for. The results indicated that metric (depth) perception increased with training (p=0.007). Project 2 conducted at the University of Brighton and Sussex Medical School aimed to see if medical students (n= 105) previous experience of learning made a difference. The results indicated that students who had studied physics had an improved spatial ability (p=0.022). Project 3 measured the use of touch mediated perception during examination on a cadaver removing the heart/lungs using motion tracking devices. The results indicated that the total distance of flexion and extension was 8765 degrees with radial and ulna deviation of 5475 degrees. In conclusion these 3 projects inform us that spatial ability has an element of being a learned and trained ability and this is reflected by those who had studied a visual subject. Educational theory recommends an active learning approach as being an effective study method and using human cadavers has been proposed as a method that reflects active learning, the final experiment reflects how active examination of a specimen is!