Teaching context and philosophy

Teaching context and philosophy

What is learnt in the anatomy classroom goes far beyond the acquisition of knowledge of anatomical structures. The discipline-independent skills encompass an exploration of the diversity of the human body, reflection of what it is that makes each of us, respect for another person’s body, and appreciation for those that contribute to this learning through body donation1,-3.

My anatomy classroom caters to a diverse group of students, from different programs of study both health and non-health related, different cultural backgrounds, and with largely differing exposures to concepts of end of life. It is thus an essential part of my teaching philosophy to create a safe and supportive learning environment, with open communication, for students to process these concepts, avoid dissociative behaviour to human bodies and body donors, and retain humanistic approaches to anatomy learning which they will carry into their future careers and life1-3.

I believe students in higher education should be in control of their own learning. Part of this involves setting clear expectations early, achievable goals, and regular formative assessment and feedback. Anatomy involves the acquisition of large volumes of content, imperative to the application in clinical settings. This can present a challenge to modern learners who are accustomed to having knowledge constantly available through digital means, rather than through instant recall. Testing and retesting involving active recall has been shown to increase knowledge retention, and it is important to provide students with extensive resources for them as part of their learning process4-6. However, it is important to be cognisant and respectful of the learners’ time and stress levels and the volume of resources should be measured against the intended learning outcomes and assessment. A student that is overwhelmed by the volume or cannot see the importance of individual resources will be discouraged and is more likely to disengage. In addition to providing regular formative assessment to drive feedback on an individual’s progress, I also feel it is important with summative assessment feedback to weave in promotion of self-reflection to drive improvement.

Active engagement with content to develop that higher cognitive learning of application of knowledge is important in anatomy. As a health clinician I constantly provide clinical relevance to the material being learnt, and encourage students to explore what they are learning in the classroom with what they have experienced in their own life experiences and share these with others7. Creating this environment where students learn from each other and value the experiences of others I believe helps strengthen mutual respect and promote their ability to work in a team.

Lastly, I believe in being highly accessible and approachable to my students, in listening to their needs and their feedback, and supporting them so they can achieve their learning outcomes.

References

  1. Cornwall, J. and Hildebrandt, S. (2019), Anatomy, Education, and Ethics in a Changing World. Anat Sci Educ, 12: 329-331
  2. Hafferty, F. W. and G. M. Finn (2015). The Hidden Curriculum and Anatomy Education. Teaching Anatomy: A Practical Guide. L. K. Chan and W. Pawlina. Cham, Springer International Publishing: 339-349.
  3. Kumar Ghosh, S. and Kumar, A. (2019), Building Professionalism in Human Dissection Room as a Component of Hidden Curriculum Delivery: A Systematic Review of Good Practices. Anat Sci Educ, 12: 210-221.
  4. Azzi, A.J., Ramnanan, C.J., Smith, J., Dionne, É. and Jalali, A. (2015), To quiz or not to quiz: Formative tests help detect students at risk of failing the clinical anatomy course. American Association of Anatomists, 8: 413-420.
  5. Dobson JL, Linderholm T. (2015), The effect of selected "desirable difficulties" on the ability to recall anatomy information. Anat Sci Educ. 8(5):395-403.
  6. Logan JM, Thompson AJ, Marshak DW. (2011), Testing to enhance retention in human anatomy. Anat Sci Educ. 4(5):243-248.
  7. Bergman, E.M., de Bruin, A.B., Herrler, A. et al.(2013) Students’ perceptions of anatomy across the undergraduate problem-based learning medical curriculum: a phenomenographical study. BMC Med Educ 13, 152