Promoting more future-ready anatomy education after the Covid-19 pandemic: A scoping review

The coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic caused an abrupt transition from face-to-face to online anatomy teaching, learning, and assessment. Although online education has ensured the continuity of anatomy education during the pandemic, its implementation has been challenging, and its effectiveness has been questioned. Therefore, literature pertinent to online anatomy education during the pandemic is crucial to explain Covid-19's disruptions to this field. Accordingly, this scoping review explored changes, disruptions, and gaps in anatomy teaching and assessment during Covid-19 using an enhanced version of Arksey and O′Malley's six-stage protocol. Five online databases were searched for articles that described changes and disruptions in anatomy education. Three independent researchers were involved in titles, abstracts, and full texts screening, while another four researchers were independently involved in data extraction, charting, and synthesis. This review revealed six themes: immediate strategic plans and actions, teaching and learning changes, online assessment practice, students' and educators' receptivity and adaptability, online learning and assessment effects, and future directions. It also revealed four gaps: non-future-ready curricula, learning obstacles, administrative and teaching challenges, and online education ethical issues. The results were reported in tabular and narrative forms, following the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR guidelines). Understanding the evolution and gaps in anatomy education during the Covid-19 pandemic will help anatomists design future-ready, adaptable curricula.     

National survey on anatomical sciences in medical education

The drivers for curricular change in medical education such as the addition of innovative approaches to teaching, inclusion of technology and adoption of different assessment methods are gaining momentum. In an effort to understand how these changes are impacting and being implemented in gross anatomy, microscopic anatomy, neuroanatomy/neuroscience, and embryology courses, surveys were sent out to course directors/discipline leaders at allopathic Medical Schools in the United States during the 2016‐2017 academic year. Participants in the study were asked to comment on course hours, student experiences in the classroom and laboratory, amount of faculty participation, the use of peers as teachers in both the classroom and laboratory, methods used for student assessment and identification of best practices. Compared to data published from a similar survey in 2014, a number of changes were identified: (1) classroom hours in gross anatomy increased by 24% and by 29% in neuroanatomy/neuroscience; (2) laboratory hours in gross anatomy decreased by 16%, by 33% in microscopic anatomy, and by 38% in neuroanatomy/neuroscience; (3) use of virtual microscopy in microscopic anatomy teaching increased by 129%; and (4) the number of respondents reporting their discipline as part of a partially or fully integrated curriculum increased by greater than 100% for all four disciplines. Anat Sci Educ 11: 7–14. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.     

Anatomy education for medical students in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland in 2019: A 20-year follow-up

Anatomical education in the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland has long been under scrutiny, especially since the reforms triggered in 1993 by the General Medical Council's “Tomorrow's Doctors.” The aim of the current study was to investigate the state of medical student anatomy education in the UK and Ireland in 2019. In all, 39 medical schools completed the survey (100% response rate) and trained 10,093 medical students per year cohort. The teachers comprised 760 individuals, of these 143 were employed on full-time teaching contracts and 103 were employed on education and research contracts. Since a previous survey in 1999, the number of part-time staff has increased by 300%, including a significant increase in the number of anatomy demonstrators. In 2019, anatomy was predominantly taught to medical students in either a system-based or hybrid curriculum. In all, 34 medical schools (87%) used human cadavers to teach anatomy, with a total of 1,363 donors being used per annum. Gross anatomy teaching was integrated with medical imaging in 95% of medical schools, embryology in 81%, living anatomy in 78%, neuroanatomy in 73%, and histology in 68.3%. Throughout their five years of study, medical students are allocated on average 85 h of taught time for gross anatomy, 24 h for neuroanatomy, 24 h for histology, 11 h for living anatomy, and 10 for embryology. In the past 20 years, there has been an average loss of 39 h dedicated to gross anatomy teaching and a reduction in time dedicated to all other anatomy sub-disciplines.     

Survey of Gross Anatomy Education in China: The Past and the Present

Medical education in mainland China has undergone massive expansion and reforms in the past decades. A nation-wide survey of the five-year clinical medicine programs aimed to examine the course hours, pedagogies, learning resources and teaching staff of anatomy both at present and over the past three decades (1990–1999, 2000–2009, and 2010–2018). The directors or senior teachers from 90 out of the 130 five-year clinical medicine programs were invited to fill out a factual questionnaire by email. Ultimately, sixty-five completed questionnaires were received from 65 different schools. It was found that the total number of gross anatomy course hours has decreased by 11% in the past 30 years and that systematic and regional anatomy have been increasingly taught separately among the surveyed medical schools. Problem-based learning has been adopted in thirty-five (54%) of the surveyed schools, and team-based learning is used in ten (15%) of the surveyed schools. The surveyed schools reported receiving more donated cadavers in recent years, with the average number increasing from 20.67 ± 20.29 in 2000–2009 to 36.10 ± 47.26 in 2010–2018. However, this has not resulted in a decrease in the number of students who needed to share one cadaver (11.85 ± 5.03 in 1990–1999 to 14.22 ± 5.0 in 2010–2018). A decreasing trend regarding the teacher-student ratio (1:25.5 in 2000–2009 to 1:33.2 in 2010–2018) was also reported. The survey demonstrated the historical changes in gross anatomy education in China over the past thirty years.     

疫情期间大学英语线上教学调查研究——以贵州财经大学为例

为了解疫情期间高校大学英语在线教学现状,本研究以贵州财经大学为例,对3107名学生进行问卷调查,以此分析线上教学的特点及存在的问题。结果表明:该校教师利用多种教学软件和平台,积极开展线上教学活动,但也存在部分学生学习态度不积极,学习效果参差不齐的问题。针对上述问题,建议从教学模式、教学理念、考核方式三个方面进行改革,利用线上教学的优势与经验,创新传统课堂教学模式,推动“线上+线下”混合式教学模式成为后疫情时期大学英语教学改革中的“新常态”。     

疫情防控下中小学教师在线教学与在线培训分析

疫情防控下,广大师生面临"停课不停学"的新考验,而超大规模开展在线教学从多方面给中小学教师带来了巨大挑战。为了解中小学教师在线教学的现状及其对在线培训的需求,文章面向23个省市地区的中小学教师进行了网络问卷调查,并对收集的15438份有效问卷进行了整理分析,重点分析了疫情防控下中小学教师对在线教学的态度、准备情况、平台使用和效果预期等,以及中小学教师对在线培训的具体需求。在调查分析的基础上,文章针对中小学教师在线培训提出了相关建议。通过在线培训提升中小学教师的在线教学能力,不仅仅是疫情防控下的权宜之计,也将是提高教师信息素养、促进教育信息化长远发展的重要途径。     

Effects of training experienced teachers in the use of the one‐minute preceptor technique in the gross anatomy laboratory

The one‐minute preceptor (OMP) is a time‐efficient, learner‐centered teaching method used in a busy ambulatory care setting. This project evaluated the effects of training experienced anatomy teachers in the use of the OMP in the gross anatomy laboratory on students' perceived learning. Second‐year medical students from a five‐year, undergraduate‐entry, system‐ and problem‐based medical program were divided randomly into two groups of 76 students each. The groups took part in the same gross anatomy laboratory session on different dates, supervised by the same two teachers (both with over 25 years of teaching experience). The teachers attended a workshop on the use of the OMP between the two sessions. Students were given a questionnaire at the end of the two sessions to indicate their agreements to statements regarding their learning experiences. Semistructured interviews were conducted with the two teachers after the second session. Results showed that training experienced anatomy teachers in the use of the OMP did not result in improvement of student learning perception in the gross anatomy laboratory. The experienced teachers have developed their own approaches with elements similar to those in the OMP: being learner centered and adaptable to individual student's needs, providing feedback, and enhancing teacher immediacy. They do not have an explicit structure such as the OMP, and are thus flexible and adaptive. Confining the teachers' teaching behaviors to the OMP structure could limit their performance. Although there are theoretical advantages for novice teachers in adopting the OMP technique, these advantages still need to be supported by further studies. Anat Sci Educ 7: 124–129. © 2013 American Association of Anatomists.     

Evolving strategies in whirlwind mode: The changing face of anatomy education during Covid-19 pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic stipulated adoption of unfamiliar strategies for delivering anatomy education in online mode. The factors which determine education strategies are variable across geographical regions. It was perceived that an overview of education strategies around the globe would be useful for anatomists. Hence this narrative review was undertaken to collate observations from different geographical regions pertaining to education strategies adopted during the pandemic. Data relevant to the topic of study were extracted from 12 articles that were selected from an initial pool of 317 articles based on search criteria set for the review. Subtle differences in core education strategies implied that baseline response from anatomists was similar across regions. It was evident that online digital tools were key elements of education strategies adopted by educators for delivering online anatomy classes across the globe. Interestingly, a considerable gap in terms of number and variety of online tools used for anatomy education (those requiring commercial purchase) was noted between economically developed and developing regions. This may have an impact on learning outcome for students and may even lead to variations in anatomical knowledge by regions. It was observed that offline human dissection sessions were incorporated into online practical classes in one region as positive cases showed a declining trend. This positive development is worth emulating elsewhere based on cautious assessment of prevailing situation. From a broad perspective timely introduction of education strategies ensured delivery of anatomy education during the pandemic and gave an evolved outlook to the fabric of anatomy education.     

The impact of asynchronous online anatomy teaching and smaller learning groups in the anatomy laboratory on medical students’ performance during the Covid-19 pandemic

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, National Taiwan University anatomy teachers adopted asynchronous online video teaching and reduced the size of anatomy laboratory groups in April 2020. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of these changes on medical students’ learning. Before Covid-19, the performance of the 2019–2020 cohort was significantly better than that of the 2018–2019 cohort. However, the implementation of modified teaching strategies significantly lowered the laboratory midterm score of the 2019–2020 cohort in the second semester. Conversely, the final laboratory examination score of the 2019–2020 cohort was significantly higher than that of the 2018–2019 cohort. Through correlation analysis, lecture and laboratory examination scores were highly correlated. Additionally, the difference in lecture and laboratory z-scores between two cohorts, the Likert scale survey and free-text feedback of the 2019–2020 cohort, were conducted to show the impact of modified teaching strategies. There were several important findings in this study. First, the change in teaching strategies may temporarily negatively influence medical students to learn anatomy. Besides, analyzing the performance of laboratory assessments could be a complementary strategy to evaluate online assessments. Applying lecture examination scores to predict laboratory performance was a feasible way to identify students who may have difficulty in learning practical dissection. Finally, reducing group size together with reduced peer discussion may have a negative effect on learning cadaver dissection for students with low academic performance. These findings should be taken into consideration when anatomy teachers apply new teaching strategies in anatomy courses.     

在职教师网上学习困难之调查报告

网上学习为在职教师提供了一种灵活的进修机会,促进了教师终身学习的发展。然而,通过几年的实践,学员们在这一新的学习模式下会产生哪些困难呢?本研究以华东师范大学网络教育学院在职进修教师为样本,采用网上问卷调查的方法,旨在探讨在职教师网上学习的主要困难及影响因素。本研究收回的有效问卷为196份。研究发现,教师网上学习的困难包括基础设施条件、操作技能、资源,以及个人等方面,影响网上学习主要因素包括网上教师水平、网上学习环境、网上学习支持等等。根据在职教师网上学习困难的综合分析,作者提出了一系列改进网络教学的策略性建议,可供网上教学工作者参考。     

One year of anatomy teaching and learning in the outbreak: Has the Covid-19 pandemic marked the end of a century-old practice? A systematic review

At the end of 2019, the Covid-19 pandemic spread caused restrictions in business and social spheres. Higher education was also severely affected: universities and medical schools moved online to distance learning and laboratory facilities closed. Questions arise about the long-term effects of this pandemic on anatomical education. In this systematic review, the authors investigated whether or not anatomical educators were able to deliver anatomical knowledge during this pandemic. They also discuss the challenges that anatomical education has faced over the last year. The search strategy was conducted between July 2020 and July 2021. Two hundred and one records were identified, and a total of 79 studies were finally included. How best to deliver anatomy to students remains a moot point. In the last years, the advent of new technologies has raised the question of the possible overcoming of dissection as the main instrument in anatomical education. The Covid-19 pandemic further sharpened the debate. Remote learning enhanced the use of technologies other than cadaveric dissection to teach anatomy. Moreover, from the analyzed records it appears that both from students' perspective as well as teachers' there is a clear tear between those who endorse dissection and those who believe it could be easily overcome or at least integrated by virtual reality and online learning. The authors strongly believe that the best anatomy teaching practice requires the careful adaptation of resources and methods. Nevertheless, they support cadaveric dissection and hope that it will not be replaced entirely as a result of this pandemic.     

疫情期间中职学校在线教学实证研究——以芜湖市某中等职校公共管理类专业为例

为了解疫情期间中职公共管理类专业师生的在线教学现状,以芜湖市某中等职校公共管理类专业的112名学生为调查样本,采用了自编问卷"中职公共管理类专业学生在线学习体验效果调查问卷",用SPSS 25.0进行统计分析。结果发现,中职公共管理类专业学生在线学习体验效果总体高于中等水平,可以分为自我发展感知、自我互动感知、教师指导感知三种体验类型。其中,教师指导感知水平高于自我发展感知水平与自我互动感知水平,而自我互动感知水平最低。最后,根据对研究结果的分析,从困难学生的需求、在线学习效果、师生的互动效能三个角度提出了针对性策略,以期进一步完善中职公共管理类专业在线教学的理论体系。     

疫情期间职业院校教师在线教学影响因素实证研究

职业教育作为一种类型教育,与普通教育相比,从课程逻辑到教学模式均有区别。基于TAM技术接受模型,通过对不同职业院校325位教师疫情期间在线教学情况的问卷调查后分析发现:教师的个体创新性、教学资源优质性对感知有用性,教学平台交互功能对感知易用性均影响显著;感知易用性对感知有用性、感知有用性对实施态度、实施态度对行为意向均有显著影响;不同于TAM模型,感知易用性对教师的实施态度影响不显著;社群影响对教师实施态度影响显著,但对教师行为意向影响不显著,自我效能则与之相反。为此,建议职业院校选择成熟可靠的在线教学平台、建设优质资源库、加强教师培训、培育创新教学团队、发挥高效能教师的示范作用和制定在线教学激励制度,在学校形成在线教学的实践共同体。     

Changes in anatomy instruction and USMLE performance: Empirical evidence on the absence of a relationship

Anatomy instruction has evolved over the past two decades as many medical schools have undergone various types of curricular reform. To provide empirical evidence about whether or not curricular changes impact the acquisition and retention of anatomy knowledge, this study investigated the effect of variation in gross anatomy course hours, curricular approach (stand‐alone versus integrated), and laboratory experience (dissection versus dissection and prosection) on USMLE Steps 1 and 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) scores. Gross anatomy course directors at 54 United States schools provided information about their gross anatomy courses via an online survey (response rate of 42%). Survey responses were matched with USMLE scores for 6,411 examinees entering LCME‐accredited schools in 2007 and taking Step 1 for the first time in 2009. Regression analyses were conducted to examine relationships between gross anatomy instructional characteristics and USMLE performance. Step 1 total scores, Step 1 gross anatomy sub‐scores, and Step 2 CK scores were unrelated to instructional hours, controlling for MCAT scores. Examinees from schools with integrated curricula scored slightly lower on Steps 1 and 2 CK than those from stand‐alone courses (effect sizes of 2.1 and 1.9 on score scales with SDs of 22 and 20, respectively). Examinees with dissection and prosection experience performed slightly better on Step 2 CK than examinees in courses with dissection only laboratories (effect size of 1.2). Results suggest variation in course hours is unrelated to performance on Steps 1 and 2 CK. Although differences were observed in relation to curricular approach and laboratory experience, effect sizes were small. Anat Sci Educ 6: 3–10. © 2012 American Association of Anatomists.     

Online pornography – Should schools be teaching young people about the risks? An exploration of the views of young people and teaching professionals

The Internet has made sexually explicit media more accessible to young people. Online pornography is diverse, can be very graphic, and a large amount is available free of charge with restrictions varying by country. Many young people are accessing online pornography, intentionally or unintentionally, and there are fears that this could impact on their sexual development and future relationships. Current research into the effects of viewing pornography on attitudes and behaviours of young people is patchy and often contradictory. Via an anonymous survey of 218 young people and focus group discussions with 23 teaching professionals in outer London schools, this study examines whether young people and teaching professionals consider pornography use to have harmful effects, and if they feel schools should be incorporating teaching about online pornography in their educational programmes. Findings reveal that young people and teachers perceive there to be many negative effects of viewing pornography, particularly at a young age. Young people and teachers agree that schools should teach about the risks associated with online pornography viewing. Recommendations for schools about how to facilitate discussion of issues surrounding pornography use as part of the wider sex education programme are made, including the involvement of parents.     

Effect of pandemic based online education on teaching and learning system

Coronavirus outbreak mediated pandemic impacted most of the sectors globally. This includes the academic world that consists of millions of enrolled learners and active teachers who previously had regular classes in their institutions, and due to the pandemic, got stuck at the home. To continue the education process, the online class was introduced in most of the countries, including India. In this mode, both teaching and learning happen through electronic devices which are relatively new to the entire teaching-learning community. This study aimed to understand how online classes had fared for the teachers and students in India. Besides, it tried to understand the users’ experience and the unique set of challenges that this mode of education brings.Four separate questionnaires were created for school students, school teachers, college students, and college professors. The questions inquired about various aspects of online classes such as setting up online education at home, knowledge transfer, comfort, evaluation, and future aspects. The questionnaires were circulated electronically as google forms. The responses were received from the teachers (school teachers and college professors considering all courses) and learners (school and college students considering all courses) of various educational institutions across the country. The data was compiled and the results were discussed in two ways, firstly, the perspectives of teaching versus the learning group and secondly, school versus college groups on online versus regular classes. Though online training/distance education is practiced for a long time, the research on the mentioned aspects was limited. This study is the first of its kind which reflects the merits and demerits of the new-normal online education from home in the compiled voice of teachers and learners group in India. The study addresses the participant’s compliments and grievances of online education compared to regular classes. This further enlightens how to improve the technologies to make them use more efficiently. Besides, this study gives a proper framework to modify or create educational policies, laws, and schemes to obtain equal access to resources for all.     

Body Donation,Teaching, and Research in Dissection Rooms in Spain in Times of Covid-19

The state of alarm due to Covid-19 pandemic in Spain stopped all educational and most university research activities. The Spanish Anatomical Society (SAE) Consensus Expert Group on Body Donations piloted a study based on a questionnaire to know the status of body donations and dissection activities during the lockdown, as well as the future implications of Covid-19 pandemic for body donation programs and anatomy teaching. The questionnaire results show that Spanish Universities refused body donations and stopped all dissection research and teaching. The Covid-19 expected influence on anatomy teaching was referred to the increase in teaching workforce and resources required to apply the new safety measures to future practical activities, as well as to prepare and adapt teaching material for online-only programs. The application of reinforced safety measures was expected to be perceived by the respondent's students as a gain in teaching quality, while the transformation of the anatomy courses in online-only programs will be perceived as a quality decrease. The respondent's concerns about future institutional implications of the pandemic were related to increased costs of the adaptation of the facilities and the reinforced preventive measures, as well as the eventual decrease in donations. The complete lockdown applied to dissection rooms was not justified by scientific evidence and represented a break of the confidence deposed in the institutions by the donors. A consensus is required for the adoption of a renewed, comprehensive protocol for present and future body donations including the evidence Covid-19 pandemic has contributed to create.     

Altruism in death: Attitudes to body and organ donation in Australian students

Health education, research, and training rely on the altruistic act of body donation for the supply of cadavers. Organ transplantation and research rely on donated organs. Supply of both is limited, with further restrictions in Australia due to requirements for a next-of-kin agreement to donation, irrespective of the deceased's pre-death consent. Research suggests health workers are less likely to support the donation of their own bodies and/or organs, despite recognizing the public good of donation, and that exposure to gross anatomy teaching may negatively affect support for donation. Attitudes to body and organ donation were examined in Australian students studying anatomy. Support for self-body donation (26.5%) was much lower than support for self-organ donation (82.5%). Ten percent of participants would not support the election of a family member or member of the public to donate their body, and just over 4% would not support the election of a family member to donate their organs, with one-to-two percent not supporting this election by a member of the public. Exposure to gross anatomy teaching was associated with an increased likelihood of consideration of issues about body and organ donation, whether for self, family, or the public, and registration as an organ donor. Exposure decreased participants' willingness to donate their own body, with those who practiced a religion least likely to support body donation. Gross anatomy courses provide an opportunity to inform future healthcare workers about altruistic donation, albeit with a recognition that religious or cultural beliefs may affect willingness to donate.