What Faculty and Students Value When Evaluating Human Digital Anatomy Platforms: A Mixed-Methods Study

Area of Science:

• Anatomy education
• Digital learning technologies
• Medical education

Background:

• Digital technologies offer enhanced spatial awareness in anatomy education compared to traditional methods.
• Digital anatomy platforms provide features like 3D model manipulation, virtual reality exploration, and self-testing.
• Understanding user preferences is key to effective integration of these technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate faculty and student priorities when using digital human anatomy platforms.
• To identify key valued features for teaching and learning anatomy with digital tools.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to 6 anatomy faculty and 21 students after a week of using 3 digital anatomy platforms.
• Feedback was collected across usability, interactive features, level of detail, and learning support.
• Qualitative feedback was analyzed to supplement quantitative findings.

Main Results:

• Faculty members prioritize anatomical accuracy and detailed structures in digital platforms.
• Students prioritize platform usability over other features.
• Distinct preferences exist between educators and learners regarding digital anatomy tools.

Conclusions:

• Faculty and student preferences differ significantly for digital anatomy platforms.
• Educators should align technology integration with clear pedagogical strategies.
• Maximizing digital tool affordances requires a curriculum-based approach to meet learning outcomes.