Creating evidence-based engaging online learning resources in neuroanatomy.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Neuroanatomy
• Digital Learning

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of online anatomical resources.
• Pedagogical principles and effectiveness of these resources require clarification.
• Educators need evidence-based strategies for creating engaging online clinical neuroanatomy content.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate effective methods for creating engaging online clinical neuroanatomy learning resources.
• To compare the effectiveness of online (video) versus text-based learning resources.
• To analyze viewer engagement with online anatomical video content.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of YouTube analytics from the Soton Brain Hub (SBH) for viewer engagement metrics.
• A cross-sectional study comparing learning gain and retention using pre- and post-teaching multiple-choice questions.
• Comparison of normalized learning gain and retained learning gain between video and text-based resource groups.

Main Results:

• Viewer engagement (average time spent) strongly correlated with video length (r=0.77, p<0.001).
• Video resources yielded significantly higher normalized learning gain (61.9%) compared to text resources (49.6%, p=0.030).
• No significant difference was found in retained learning gain between video (39.1%) and text-based (40.0%) resources (p=0.919).

Conclusions:

• Short online videos (under 5 minutes) enhance student engagement by reducing cognitive load.
• Online learning resources are as effective as traditional text-based materials for knowledge acquisition and retention in clinical neuroanatomy.
• The increasing popularity of online resources may influence the future landscape of traditional face-to-face teaching in medical education.