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Published on: September 7, 2022
Effects of multisensory tactile‑auditory integration teaching on systematic anatomy learning in visually impaired
Arjun Sinkemani1, Fanzhen Kong2
1Department of Human Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong Medical and Pharmaceutical University, No. 318 Gangcheng East Street, Yantai, 264003, China.
Purpose:
Medical education for visually impaired students faces persistent barriers due to the inherent visual dependency of anatomy and the prevalence of unimodal instructional paradigms. This study aimed to design and evaluate a novel tactile-auditory integrated teaching strategy for systematic anatomy, comparing its effectiveness against traditional Braille-based instruction in enhancing academic performance and learning attitudes among visually impaired medical students.
Methods:
A 16-week cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted with 60 visually impaired undergraduate students structured across 4 class clusters. The experimental group ([Formula: see text]) received a multisensory adaptive intervention utilizing high-precision silicone models equipped with an embedded micro-sensor audio-feedback system. The control group ([Formula: see text]) received conventional Braille-based instruction with identical physical models lacking electronic feedback. Primary outcomes were evaluated on the Intention-to-Treat (ITT) population using Linear Mixed-Effects Models (LMM) with multiple imputation and Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate (FDR) adjustments ([Formula: see text]).
Results:
Following the intervention, the experimental group demonstrated significantly higher scores than the control group in theoretical examinations ([Formula: see text] vs. [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]), practical structure identification assessments ([Formula: see text] vs. [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]), and overall composite scores ([Formula: see text] vs. [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]). Formative process assessment scores showed no statistically significant difference between groups ([Formula: see text] vs. [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]). Questionnaire evaluations revealed superior outcomes in the experimental group across self-directed learning engagement, multimodal learning adaptability, clinical problem-solving skills, and anatomical tactile recognition ability (all [Formula: see text]).
Conclusion:
The tactile-auditory integrated training system significantly improves objective summative knowledge acquisition and subjective learning experiences in visually impaired medical students. This approach provides a scalable, cost-constrained, and replicable pedagogical model for inclusive anatomy education, though future multi-center trials incorporating granular visual function stratification and advanced haptic technologies are warranted.
