Using the Situated Learning-Guided Educational Framework to Teach Anatomy of the Infratemporal Fossa and...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Anatomy Instruction
• Surgical Anatomy

Background:

• Traditional head and neck anatomy dissection can be challenging and stressful for students.
• Existing pedagogical methods may not optimally prepare students for clinical scenarios.
• There is a need for alternative or supplementary teaching approaches for complex anatomy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate an instructor-guided, situated learning workshop using prosections for teaching head and neck anatomy.
• To assess the impact of the workshop on student stress levels and knowledge acquisition.
• To compare the effectiveness of prosection-based learning with traditional dissection.

Main Methods:

• A 40-minute instructor-facilitated workshop was conducted with 24 first-year medical students.
• Students participated in a situated learning experience using prosections of the infratemporal fossa and retromandibular region.
• Knowledge retention was measured using pre/post-workshop tests, and perceived stress was assessed via surveys.

Main Results:

• Workshop participation significantly improved student knowledge scores in head and neck anatomy (p < .001).
• Post-workshop scores averaged 8.75, a significant increase from the pre-workshop average of 4.79.
• 75% of students reported mild or no stress during the workshop.

Conclusions:

• An instructor-guided, prosection-centered workshop is an effective and low-stress method for teaching complex head and neck anatomy.
• This approach can serve as an alternative or enhancement to student-conducted dissection.
• The workshop model may be beneficial for various health professions learners beyond medical students.