An interactive, multi-modal Anatomy workshop improves academic performance in the health sciences: a cohort study

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Anatomy Learning
• Health Sciences

Background:

• Students often use surface learning strategies for anatomy, hindering clinical application.
• Traditional teaching methods like lectures and labs present challenges in fostering deep learning.
• A novel interactive anatomy workshop was developed to address these limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of an interactive anatomy workshop.
• To assess the impact on student performance and learning approaches.
• To determine if the workshop enhances self-confidence and accommodates varied learning styles.

Main Methods:

• An interactive workshop involving body painting, clay modeling, white-boarding, and quizzes was conducted with 66 health science students.
• Student performance was compared between mid-semester and end-semester examinations for attendees and non-attendees.
• Surveys assessed learning styles, goals, workshop utility, and self-confidence.

Main Results:

• Workshop attendees showed significantly improved examination performance compared to non-attendees (p=0.001).
• Attendees reported significantly increased self-confidence (p<0.001).
• 97% of attendees utilized multi-modal learning styles, achieving goals like understanding, strategic engagement, and exam preparation.

Conclusions:

• The interactive workshop enhanced examination performance and promoted deeper learning and engagement.
• The approach effectively accommodates diverse learning styles and boosts student self-confidence.
• This interactive tool serves as a valuable supplement to conventional anatomy teaching methods.