TEACHING ONLINE IN 3D: ASSESSING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN ONLINE SYSTEMIC HUMAN ANATOMY COURSE WITH LABORATORY COMPONENT DELIVERED SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH FACE TO FACE LECTURES

We are in the inaugural year of assessing the effectiveness of an online section of an existing undergraduate systemic human anatomy course that has a laboratory component. We broadcast lectures used for face-to-face (F2F) students (n=365) both live and archived to online students (n=40) using virtual classroom software (Blackboard Collaborate). We also delivered laboratory demonstrations online by a teaching assistant who manipulated 3D anatomical models (Netters 3D Interactive Anatomy) in the virtual classroom. Students independently studied the 3D models on their own computers using “prosections” (dissection macros) prepared by the instructor.

We are employing a mixed methods research approach to determine the effectiveness of this online delivery format. We also hope to determine if academic performance in the course is impacted by delivery format using arithmetic means for each measure of student performance (4 tests, 24 laboratory quizzes) by comparing the F2F and online sections. We will also compare incoming grade point averages to final grades to determine if previous academic performance impacts performance in the F2F or online formats. Preliminary data suggest that student academic performance in the course is not impacted by the online delivery format.

We are also analyzing student perceptions of the learning experience in both course formats to determine their relative strengths and weaknesses. We collected qualitative data through student interviews and surveys following a one-week cross over period that exposed all students to both delivery formats. We also conducted individual student interviews online (22 online students, 38 F2F students) using the virtual classroom software. We asked students which format they preferred with regard to different aspects of the course (lecture, laboratory, laboratory quiz) and asked them for specific reasons for their preferences. We used data from the interviews to design a survey offered to the F2F students. We also asked survey respondents (272/327 F2F students) about their delivery format preference and rated the importance of several possible reasons for their preferences. We will be performing a multiple regression analysis to determine which reasons most greatly influence students’ preference for course delivery format. We will also establish themes from a content analysis of interview transcripts and survey data to generate data-driven (grounded) theory about the strengths and weaknesses of this online format.

The results of this study will form the foundation for future studies during the 2013-2014 academic year during which we will measure additional variables.