Neuroanatomy Lab Videos and Interactive Modules

1) FMED 426: The creation of professional neuroanatomy / neurophysiology video modules gave the students a conceptual framework to refer to as they worked through the content of their weeks. These modules also allowed for students to access the material anytime and anywhere.

2) CAPS 301: Online modules helped students to prepare for the class so that class time could focus on the discussion of functional and applied neuroscience.

3) RHSC 420: The online videos and modules were an integral part of the course required for preparation for all lecture and lab sessions.

4) BMEG 410: Online modules constituted a repository of information that students used as they navigated the world of neuro-imaging. Class time was only used to cover the most basic concepts and the modules gave those students with a deeper interest the opportunity to build a neuroanatomy / neuroscience knowledge base.

Claudia Krebs, Senior Instructor, Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine

Products & achievements: Development of new lab manual; Clinical case development; Interactive modules (8) and lab manual; Videos (9); Library of Nan Cheney drawing (www.neuroanatomy.ca).

Intended outcomes/themes:

1. Effective implementation and delivery of the Flipped Neuroanatomy Labs pilot
   • Delivery of key elements of the pilot
   • Student and faculty usage of online pilot components
2. Positive impact of students’ experiences with the Flipped Classroom Model
   • Learning
   • Engagement with lab content
   • Attitudes toward neuroanatomy
3. Enhanced student performance on the neuroanatomy labs summative exam

Evaluation approach: Data for this evaluation was collected through a variety of methods and sources:

• Pilot delivery and lab instructor and support staff experience data: Gathered from lab instructor experience surveys. The overall response rate was 64% (29/45). One MedIT staff was interviewed.
• Student experience data: Obtained from Year 2 (MD2016) student experience surveys. The overall response rate was 83% (239/289). Response rates for each program site were: IMP=88%, NMP=91%, SMP=97%, VFMP=78%.

Instruments and methodology documents used for ESU data collection and analyses are available upon request.

Findings:

Pilot Implementation, Delivery & Utilization:

• Facilitators of pilot delivery included the online content (videos and modules), support from the Pilot Lead, weekly lab instructor meetings, and the lab instructors’ manual.
• The materials developed for the pilot were well utilized by students.
• Lab instructors largely agreed that they received sufficient and effective training and that they were provided with adequate resources to carry out their role in the flipped neuroanatomy labs.
• Barriers to delivering the pilot included students’ preoccupation with the lab manual which resulted in spending less time with wet specimens, anxiety in some students and some lab instructors about change to the format of the labs, and timing of the delivery of teaching resources.

Student Experience:

• A strong majority of students indicated that their learning was enhanced by the flexibility of accessing didactic content online and by being engaged in active learning; they acknowledged that they arrived at the labs more prepared than they would otherwise have been.
• The online resources received high ratings and positive comments for their accessibility and content.
• Students indicated that the lab instructors were well prepared and effectively facilitated their learning in the labs.
• Students commented that the volume of content and learning materials for the labs was overwhelming and required appreciable preparation time.
• The lab manual was identified as a target for improvement. Students indicated that the instructions and open-ended questions did not provide sufficient guidance.

Lab Instructor Experience:

• Most lab instructors provided positive ratings for their overall experience facilitating the labs.
• Lab instructors’ observed that students arrived at the labs more prepared, more engaged, and they had higher-level discussions about lab content compared to the traditional labs.
• Lab instructors concurred with students that the lab manual is a target for improvement; they suggested reintroducing some didactic content and reworking the questions.

Student Performance:

• Students participating in the pilot outperformed students taught using the traditional lab model in previous years, and the differences were statistically significant.

Dissemination:

Invited talks:

August 22, 2014: Karolinska Institute; Stockholm, Sweden. Presentation at the Meeting of the Swedish Society of Anatomists

“Developing strategies for teaching anatomy in a competency-based curriculum”

July 10, 2014: Universität zu Köln; Cologne, Germany. Presentation to the Anatomy Department:

“How undergraduate anatomy education meets professional competencies as outlined in the CanMEDS framework”

Workshops facilitated:

May 14, 2015: Full Day Workshop at Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo: “Flipping to Engage our Learners” as part of their 2015 Science and Technology Teaching and Learning Symposium

July 29, 2014: Full Day Education Workshop at Boucher School of Naturopathic Medicine, New Westminster: “A practical approach to the Flipped Classroom”

March 10, 2014: MDUP Faculty Development Workshop: Dinner and Development Series “Using Technology in Teaching”

Publications:

Michael Davis and Claudia Krebs: Flipping Out on Neuroanatomy: Applying the Flipped Classroom Model to Neuroanatomy Labs. Canadian Conference on Medical Education 2015

Zachary Rothman, Justin Student and Claudia Krebs: Flipping the Neuroanatomy Labs: A Creative Approach to Producing Videos and Multimedia for Students. Canadian Conference on Medial Education 2015

Claudia Krebs, Parker Holman, Tamara Bodnar, Joanne Weinberg and Wayne Vogl: Flipping the neuroanatomy labs: how the production of high quality video and interactive modules changed our approach to teaching. FASEB J, 2014, 28 (suppl): 211.3

Sustainability: The team was very deliberate about ensuring that the videos created for this project would be conceptual in nature and modular enough that they can be used in a variety of settings. The videos should stand the test of time are remain current for 5-10 years.

The 26 interactive modules that have been created over the past two years are more course-specific, but can be easily modified to suit the specific learning needs of a particular course. The building blocks are in place and can be easily updated and modified. These modules will also stand the test of time and will be used in a variety of courses at UBC.

Another development that has come out of this project is an international collaboration between the University of Lund (Sweden), the Free University of Amsterdam (Netherlands) and the University of Auckland (New Zealand). The aim of this collaboration is to jointly create and examine the effectiveness of educational material for medical students.