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. 2022 Aug;44(8):1193-1199.
doi: 10.1007/s00276-022-02974-z. Epub 2022 Jul 9.

Students' perspective on the interactive online anatomy labs during the COVID-19 pandemic

Ioannis Antonopoulos  1 , Evmorfia Pechlivanidou  1   2 , Maria Piagkou  3 , Eleni Panagouli  1 , Dimosthenis Chrysikos  1 , Evangelos Drosos  1   4 , Theodore Troupis  1
Affiliations

Students' perspective on the interactive online anatomy labs during the COVID-19 pandemic

Ioannis Antonopoulos et al. Surg Radiol Anat. 2022 Aug.

Abstract

Purpose: New training methods sprung up using communication technologies after the suspension imposed on Greek Universities due to restrictive measures against the COVID-19 pandemic. The current questionnaire-based study evaluates the efficacy and utility of the interactive online anatomy labs (ONALs) in assisting the assimilation of anatomy and substituting dissection labs during the pandemic.

Methods: ONALs consisting of video recorded demonstrations of dissected cadavers were developed so that real-time dialogue and interaction between tutor and students was feasible. First- and second-year medical students who were taught neuroanatomy and splanchnology and first-year dental students who were taught head and neck anatomy evaluated the ONALs.

Results: One hundred and sixty students participated. The 61 students (38.13%) attended the splanchnology, 58 (36.25%) the neuroanatomy, and 41 (25.63%) the head and neck anatomy course. 86.9% of the participants found the ONALs beneficial for their study. The 75.5% with previous experience of a "face-to-face" dissection replied that the ONALs cannot substitute satisfactorily "face-to-face" dissections. 63.8% replied positively to the ONALs maintenance after the pandemic.

Conclusions: The study's novelty is based on the maintenance of the greater possible interaction between tutors and students during the ONALs, in contrast to the previously described usage of dissection educational videos in anatomy. Our findings reinforce the established statement that "a teaching dissection is an irreplaceable tool in anatomy education". However, the ONALs were well-received by the students and can be kept on as a supplementary teaching modality and can be proven quite useful in Medical Schools that lack cadavers.

Keywords: Anatomy teaching; COVID-19; Distance anatomy; Education; Gross anatomy; Interaction; Online anatomy; Online labs; Remote teaching.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no declarations of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Participants (160) of the study as categorized by course into three groups. Groups 2 and 3 had a previous experience with face to face (“live”) dissection, while group 1 had not
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Score_1 in the three study subgroups
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Score_2 in the subgroups who had attended face-to-face dissection labs
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Score_3 in the three study subgroups
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Three scores after the classification of the Q5 replies (maintenance vs no maintenance)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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