Serious games may resolve problems relating to low motivation in complex medical topics such as anatomy. However, they remain relatively novel introductions to the science of learning, and further research is required to ascertain their benefits. This study describes the overall development and testing of a digital serious boardgame designed to…

The use of different technologies and technological solutions for learning purposes is no longer a novelty in the educational environment. Digital teaching materials are being developed that can be used both in classroom activities and for providing students with opportunities for independent learning. However, alongside these materials, there are…

Gamification is a pedagogical strategy that uses the principles and mechanics of game play to facilitate student learning. Despite increased adoption over the last decade, the question of how effective gamification is as a pedagogical strategy remains controversial. Here we report on the impact of a custom developed mobile app that incorporates…

Students often find human anatomy courses to be difficult due to the large amount of content covered at a fast pace, which can result in students failing to retain pertinent information. Superheroes are at the forefront of today's popular culture, with many students identifying with specific characters. Utilizing aspects of students' lives, or…

Competitive game-based learning within Second Life enables effective teaching of basic radiological anatomy and radiological signs to medical students, with good acceptance and results when students participate voluntarily, but unknown in a compulsory context. The objectives of this study were to reproduce a competitive online game based on…

Development of Open Educational eXtended Reality (OEXR) resources was driven by a need to provide anatomy models for faculty and students for whom access to formaldehyde-preserved specimens was challenging or impossible due to medical conditions, pregnancy, and other factors that limited access to the lab and the lessons. The OEXR virtual assets…

Distance courses are in high demand, post-secondary institutions are being encouraged to offer more. Some studies have found distance science classes to be as effective in content and student success, as on-campus courses. Distance courses often require greater self-motivation and study skills and as a result, the success of students in distance…

Neuroanatomy is often considered a difficult subject to teach, due to its broad scope, multitude of terms, and high degree of complexity. Thus, newer educational strategies that facilitate learning while also stimulating students by allowing increased student autonomy and group discussions should be carefully considered. This study aimed to…

Jigsaw is a peer learning procedure based on the assumption that making "children treat each other as resources" (Aronson & Patnoe, 2011, p. 8) stimulates cooperation among equals. Using a short-term, longitudinal experimental design in 14 sections of an undergraduate human anatomy laboratory, we contrasted this perspective with the…

Much of the content delivered during medical students' preclinical years is assessed nationally by such testing as the United States Medical Licensing Examination® (USMLE®) Step 1 and Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination® (COMPLEX-USA®) Step 1. Improvement of student study/learning strategies skills is associated with academic…

Motivation and learning are inter-related. It is well known that motivating learners is clearly a complex endeavor, which can be influenced by the educational program and the learning environment. Limited research has been conducted to examine students' motivation as a method to assess the effectiveness of dissection in medical education. This…

The evolution of technologies and the development of new tools with educational purposes are growing up. This work presents the experience of a new tool based on augmented reality (AR) focusing on the anatomy of the lower limb. ARBOOK was constructed and developed based on TC and MRN images, dissections and drawings. For ARBOOK evaluation, a…

In an experiment with 65 high-school students, we tested the hypothesis that personalizing learning materials would increase students' learning performance and motivation to study the learning materials. Students studied either a 915-word standard text on the anatomy and functionality of the human eye or a personalized version of the same text in…

The preclinical compulsory elective course "Ready for the Operating Room (OR)!?" [in German]: "Fit für den OP (FOP)"] was implemented for students in their second year, who were simultaneously enrolled in the gross anatomy course. The objective of the study was to determine whether the direct practical application of anatomical…

Informal learning settings such as museums have been identified as opportunities to enhance students' knowledge and motivation in science and to optimize the connection between science and everyday life. The present study assessed the role of a self-paced science education program (situated in a medical science museum) in enhancing students'…