Twelve tips for implementing artistic learning approaches in anatomy education

Abstract

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. To enhance learning and maximise student satisfaction while simultaneously optimising costs and resources within the modern context and environment of integrated anatomy education, it is vital that innovative methods of delivering learning and teaching are considered for implementation into medical curricula. The development of learning processes including observation, visualisation, haptic reasoning and visuospatial ability are strongly associated with the use of artistic approaches. In addition to being crucial for medical student learning of anatomy and other life sciences, such skills are also relevant for training in surgery, clinical observation and diagnosis. The twelve tips outlined here have been identified with the intention of providing guidance for anatomy educators aiming to incorporate innovative creative and artistic approaches into their own teaching practice within medical curricula. These proposals are underpinned by educational theory and recent research that has investigated artistic learning methods in medical education. Recommendations are also based on our personal experiences from both the undergraduate student point of view as well as the academic educator perspective with respect to the usage of creative and artistic learning approaches in anatomy education at Newcastle University.

Keywords: Anatomy; Artistic learning methods; Undergraduate medical education.

Figure 1.. Three-dimensional models can demonstrate the size, shape and positional information of visceral organs relative to surface landmarks (Image: Amy Tiri, Newcastle University).

Figure 2.. Modelling clay attached to a mobile phone stand to represent thigh muscles attached to the femur and hip joint. A Mag = Adductor magnus, A Med = Adductor medius, A Br = Adductor brevis, G = Gracilis, Pec = Pectineus. (Image: Jocelyn Selwyn-Gotha).

Figure 3.. Artatomy exhibition 2015 at Science at Life Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne. (Image: Matthew Horne, Newcastle University).

Figure 4.. Drawing of a humerus from a haptico-visual observation and drawing workshop facilated by professional drawing instructor Leonard Shapiro in May 2017 (Image: Iain Keenan).