Reasoning over recall: a six-step tutorial for muscle actions and innervations in functional anatomy

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Anatomy and Physiology

Background:

• Learning functional anatomy necessitates integrating structure and physiology for understanding muscle function.
• Students often rely on memorization for muscle actions and innervations, which can impede reasoning and overload working memory.
• A novel tutorial was developed to scaffold schema building, reduce cognitive load, and foster reasoning skills.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe and evaluate a six-step tutorial designed to minimize recall reliance and promote schema-based reasoning in functional anatomy.
• To assess the tutorial's effectiveness in enhancing medical students' understanding of muscle actions and innervations.

Main Methods:

• A 45-50 minute tutorial involving paper-based manipulation of anatomical structures (muscles, nerves) and guided schema generation.
• Learners progressed through stages from foundational exposure to active manipulation, schema construction, and collaborative dialogue.
• Facilitator-led debriefs and group discussions were incorporated into each step.

Main Results:

• The tutorial was delivered to 84 first-year medical students, with 76 completing an evaluation survey.
• Students reported that the framework simplified complex content, boosted confidence, and increased engagement.
• Qualitative feedback highlighted the benefits of reasoning rules and peer collaboration.

Conclusions:

• The tutorial provides a practical method to transition students from rote memorization to reasoning in functional anatomy.
• This structured approach is perceived by students as clear, efficient, and confidence-building for learning muscle function and innervation.