Collaborative learning using Internet2 and remote collections of stereo dissection images

We have investigated collaborative learning of anatomy over Internet2, using an application called remote stereo viewer (RSV). This application offers a unique method of teaching anatomy, using high-resolution stereoscopic images, in a client-server architecture. Rotated sequences of stereo image pairs were produced by volumetric rendering of the Visible female and by dissecting and photographing a cadaveric hand. A client-server application (RSV) was created to provide access to these image sets, using a highly interactive interface. The RSV system was used to provide a "virtual anatomy" session for students in the Stanford Medical School Gross Anatomy course. The RSV application allows both independent and collaborative modes of viewing. The most appealing aspects of the RSV application were the capacity for stereoscopic viewing and the potential to access the content remotely within a flexible temporal framework. The RSV technology, used over Internet2, thus serves as an effective complement to traditional methods of teaching gross anatomy.