Student laboratory presentations as a learning tool in anatomy education

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Anatomy

Background:

• Students often report better understanding and retention from oral presentations.
• Empirical evidence for the effectiveness of oral presentations in anatomy education is lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To empirically assess the effectiveness of oral laboratory presentations in anatomy.
• To compare learning outcomes between topics covered by oral presentations and those assessed solely by examinations.

Main Methods:

• 256 anatomy students completed two 12-minute oral presentations on assigned topics.
• Student performance was evaluated on examination questions covering presented and non-presented topics.
• Examination questions were categorized by type: memorization, pathway, analytical, and spatial.

Main Results:

• Students performed significantly better on examination questions related to topics they presented (P < 0.005).
• Presentation effectiveness was independent of the grade received for the presentation (P > 0.05).
• Performance differences were consistent across all question types (P > 0.05).

Conclusions:

• Oral presentations are an empirically validated effective learning tool in anatomy.
• This method enhances student comprehension and long-term retention of complex anatomical concepts.
• The findings support the integration of oral presentations into anatomy curricula for improved learning outcomes.