Effectiveness of a Radiographic Anatomy Software Application for Enhancing Learning of Veterinary Radiographic...

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Anatomy Education
• Radiology Software Development
• Medical Education Technology

Background:

• Veterinary students require robust understanding of normal canine radiographic anatomy.
• Traditional anatomy education methods may benefit from supplementary digital tools.
• Interactive software offers a novel approach to learning complex anatomical structures on radiographs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a newly developed interactive radiology software application.
• To determine if the software enhances the learning of normal canine radiographic anatomy.
• To assess the impact of the software on veterinary student performance.

Main Methods:

• A pre-test/post-test experimental design was employed with first-year veterinary students.
• The software featured four body regions (limb, skull/spine, thorax/abdomen) with learning and quiz modes.
• Students completed quizzes, then utilized the learning mode for 30 minutes per region before re-quizzing.

Main Results:

• Post-intervention quiz scores were significantly higher for all four body regions (p<.001).
• The software demonstrated a large effect size (Cohen's d=0.83-1.56) in improving anatomical knowledge.
• All students showed marked improvement after engaging with the learning module.

Conclusions:

• The interactive radiology software is an effective educational tool for learning canine radiographic anatomy.
• The software's design, incorporating distinct learning and assessment modes, facilitates knowledge acquisition.
• This technology presents a valuable resource for veterinary anatomy curricula.