Academic Journal
Student and staff experiences of interactive digital models when learning animal anatomy.
| Title: | Student and staff experiences of interactive digital models when learning animal anatomy. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Leavey A; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Centre for Integrative Anatomy, UCL, London, UK., Channon S; Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, London, UK. |
| Source: | Anatomical sciences education [Anat Sci Educ] 2026 Oct; Vol. 19 (10), pp. 1577-1596. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Jun 11. |
| Publication Type: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Journal Info: | Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 101392205 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1935-9780 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 19359772 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Anat Sci Educ Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: Hoboken, N.J. : John Wiley & Sons, Inc. |
| MeSH Terms: | Anatomy*/education , Education, Veterinary*/methods , Computer-Assisted Instruction*/methods , Anatomy, Veterinary*/education , Models, Anatomic*, Surveys and Questionnaires/statistics & numerical data ; Animals ; Humans ; United Kingdom ; Learning ; Digital Media ; Curriculum ; Academia ; Dissection |
| Abstract: | Compared to human medical sciences, digital models of animals are rare, often behind subscription services and are comparatively lacking in interactivity and accessibility features. This study explores how digital models are currently being used to teach animal anatomy, providing the data required to construct the best anatomical models possible, to best suit the needs of a diverse student community. We designed an online survey which was completed by 35 students and eight staff learning and teaching veterinary and biological sciences from six universities across the United Kingdom. The results showed students struggle most with learning topographically vast body regions, such as the nervous and endocrine systems, and the anatomy of exotic and equine species. We find that digital models are being used more frequently by those on veterinary degrees compared to the biological sciences, often to consolidate learning after anatomy practicals. However, most participants were not aware of the existing resources we asked them to rate. Participants agreed that better digital models are needed in anatomy education, which would help students prepare for their studies and future careers. The most important features of the ideal digital anatomical model were being free to use and easy to navigate, with highly detailed annotations which can be toggled on and off to test anatomical knowledge. Participants agreed that while implementation of this ideal digital model would facilitate learning, virtual dissection practicals should not replace traditional anatomy practicals due to the valuable skills gained from hands-on experience with real tissue and dissection tools. (© 2026 The Author(s). Anatomical Sciences Education published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Association for Anatomy.) |
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| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: digital anatomy; pedagogy; veterinary education; virtual dissection |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260612 Date Completed: 20261011 Latest Revision: 20261013 |
| Update Code: | 20261013 |
| PubMed Central ID: | PMC13654050 |
| DOI: | 10.1002/ase.70286 |
| PMID: | 42278001 |
| Database: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1935-9780 |
|---|---|
| DOI: | 10.1002/ase.70286 |