Using 3D anatomy visualization and virtual dissection to reinvigorate the anatomy laboratory

This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) provides $200,000 to Colorado State University-Pueblo, a Hispanic-Serving Institution, to integrate Anatomage virtual cadaver dissection technology into their biology laboratory curriculum. The project aims to enrich the student educational experience learning about animal design, structure, and function, in order to better prepare students for professional programs in the health sciences, medical field, and STEM workforce. Key project objectives include enhancing educational technology, developing virtual technology skills, improving critical thinking, enhancing anatomy education, and overall enriching the student learning experience. To support these goals, the project will purchase 2 Anatomage tables and 10 tablets. Progress and impact will be assessed through student surveys, commentaries, and skills assessments, with findings to be disseminated through written reports and presentations.

Abstract

With support from the improving undergraduate stem education: hispanic-serving institutions (HSI program), this educational instrumentation (EI) track project aims to enrich the student educational experience learning about animal design, structure, and function, by integrating virtual cadaver dissection technology into the laboratory curriculum. This work is important to prepare students for professional programs in the health sciences, medical field, and stem workforce. This work will contribute to new knowledge by offering a new sophisticated modality for learning about animal structure and function (human and animal cadavers), and performing clinical diagnostics by visualization of medical CT and MRI images. The project?s broader impact is to support community outreach and engagement efforts, including providing virtual cadaver experiences for students in regional k-12 public schools. The project aims to enrich the educational experience learning about animal design, structure, and function. The methods used will be to integrate anatomage virtual cadaver dissection technology into the laboratory curriculum. Anatomage is a technologically advanced anatomy visualization system that promotes learning outcomes in higher education and stem fields. IT is both a virtual library of human and animal cadavers, as well as a clinical diagnostic tool that enables the visualization of any medical CT or MRI scan. The project's goal is to integrate anatomage education into stem major and non-major courses in the biology department including: human anatomy & physiology, zoology, comparative vertebrate anatomy, vertebrate physiology, and several others, impacting approximately 770 students each year. To support this goal, the project will purchase 2 anatomage tables and 10 tablets. The expected results are to 1) enhance educational technology in biology laboratory courses, 2) develop virtual technology skills in students, 3) develop critical thinking skills, 4) enhance anatomy education curriculum, and 5) enrich the student learning experience. To assess progress/impact toward the goal of ?enriching the student learning experience, the project's principal investigators will evaluate information obtained from surveys, student commentaries, and skills assessment activities. The work will be disseminated in written reports and poster presentations at meetings. The HSI program aims to enhance undergraduate stem education and increase capacity to engage in the development and implementation of innovations to improve stem learning and teaching at hsis. Projects supported by the HSI program will also generate new knowledge on how to achieve these aims. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.