Premium
To Model or Not to Model Embryonic Heart Development, that is the educational question
Author(s) -
Blezinski Briauna,
Richardson Alisa,
Lee Lisa MJ
Publication year - 2017
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.31.1_supplement.736.1
Subject(s) - session (web analytics) , psychology , medical education , medicine , computer science , world wide web
Embryology is one of the fundamental anatomical sciences subjects that integrates well with other basic sciences and seamlessly intersects with clinical domains. The topic of embryonic heart development is one such example. Knowledge in the 4‐dimensional complexity and molecular patterning involved in heart development can yield more competent management of congenital heart defects that affect approximately 1% of births each year. Unfortunately, contact hours for embryology education in medical and dental schools have remained at a minimal level for quite some time. Combined with the scant educational resources that effectively depict complex processes, embryology education faces critical challenges. To that end, a 3D virtual animation and 3D printed models were created to improve visualization and understanding of the heart developmental process. The goal of this study was to determine the educational value of the 3D virtual and printed models. Three different student populations (medical, dental and graduate) were recruited, each enrolled in anatomical science courses in the first year of their respective programs. Study participants completed a pre‐quiz prior to the interactive session with the 3D models followed by a post‐quiz and survey. Total of 61 students from the 3 cohorts completed the study. Quantitative analyses revealed a statistically significant increase in post‐quiz performance in all three cohorts ( p <0.001). The increase in post‐quiz scores was not significantly different across the three cohorts ( p = 0.64); suggesting that all participants improved approximately the same amount regardless of program affiliation. Qualitative analyses of the survey revealed more participants (79%) reporting that the 3D printed models enhanced their understanding of the heart development process, compared to the 3D virtual models (57.1%). Participants also reported that they would benefit from the use of 3D printed models (68.4%) and virtual animations (67.9%) depicting other embryonic processes. The results demonstrate that interacting with the 3D printed models and the 3D virtual animations can lead to learning in the absence of formal instruction. The survey results also demonstrate that there is a significant demand for visual and physical models in other embryonic developmental processes. Therefore, producing developmentally accurate embryonic models in both virtual and 3D printed platform will be an important next step in augmenting embryology education in health science programs.