Page 112 - Teaching Innovation for the 21st Century

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Teaching Innovation for the 21st Century | Showcasing UJ Teaching and Learning 2021
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the shift
to remote and/or blended learning has affected the delivery
of the practical component – practical sessions moved either completely or mostly to an online environment.
Introduction
A human anatomy curriculum contains both theoretical and practical components. The practical component is considered
to be crucial to the overall anatomy learning experience (Jones 1998; Parker 2003; Kraszpulska et al. 2013; McGarvey et al.
2015). Before Covid-19, the practical component of the anatomy module consisted of students interacting with human tissues in a laboratory environment to apply and review their theoretical knowledge in a practical setting. Human tissue practical sessions include bone examination, cadaver (i.e., body) dissection and examination of prosected specimens (previously dissected body parts).
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the shift to remote and/or blended learning has affected the delivery of the practical component – practical sessions moved either completely or mostly to an online environment. In online practical sessions, students view videos and images of the human tissue specimens that would normally be interacted with in the laboratory. In some instances, 3D virtual models are also available that students can manipulate on their computer or mobile device screen. Although videos, images and virtual 3D models are
all excellent supplementary teaching tools, without the ability to immerse themselves in a fully 3D environment, as with virtual reality/augmented reality wearables or physical objects, learning becomes less effective (Nicholson et al. 2006; Codd & Choudhury 2011; Fellner et al. 2017).
When Covid-19 government regulations allow, students attend laboratory sessions. These sessions are not as numerous or as lengthy as before the Covid-19 pandemic as multiple small groups need to be accommodated and time for sanitisation must be allowed. Additional obstacles include social distancing measures, which make practical group collaboration extremely difficult. This
is a notable deviation from previous practices as students would normally collaborate in group settings during practical sessions as suggested by the verified advantages of team-based learning in anatomy (Nieder & Parmelee 2005; Vassan et al. 2008; Huitt et al. 2015; Isbell et al. 2016).
Students have reported struggling with the practical aspects of anatomy as they have fewer opportunities to engage with specimens in the laboratory. They are also missing out on the benefits of the tactile as well as visuo-spatial contributions that a physical specimen makes to the learning experience (Miller 2000; Garg et al. 2001; Guillot et al. 2007; Awadh et al. 2022).
My 4IR solution to this problem was in providing students with a 3D-printed set of bones that each student can interact with remotely in both live online practical sessions and as directed self-study sessions. 3D-printed specimens provide many