The effect of image quality, repeated study, and assessment method on anatomy learning

Area of Science:

• Anatomy Education
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Two-dimensional (2D) images are standard for preparing anatomy students for practical specimen handling.
• The critical role of 2D image quality in anatomy learning remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if 2D image quality significantly impacts anatomy learning outcomes.
• To determine if high-quality images enhance comprehension compared to low-quality images.
• To assess the influence of image quality on learning different anatomical structures (hand vs. eye).

Main Methods:

• Systematically manipulated visual clarity and consistency of 2D images of the human hand and eye into low-quality and high-quality sets.
• Participants learned from paper booklets with either low- or high-quality images.
• Comprehension tests were administered using 2D images or three-dimensional (3D) cadaveric specimens on day 0 and day 2, with relearning on day 1.

Main Results:

• High-quality images showed a statistically significant benefit for learning hand anatomy (P=0.018) but not eye anatomy (P=0.247).
• The advantage of high-quality images for hand anatomy was limited to immediate short-answer (SA) questions (P=0.018), not multiple-choice (MC) questions (P=0.109) or delayed recall (P=0.643).
• No significant learning improvement was observed for eye anatomy regardless of image quality.

Conclusions:

• The impact of 2D image quality on anatomy learning is limited and content-dependent.
• Investment in high-quality images may not substantially enhance overall anatomical knowledge acquisition.
• Further research is needed to understand the optimal use of visual aids in anatomy education.