Abstract:

One of the latest trends in education is to offer Universities' studies in both face-to-face and virtual (e-learning). The basis of virtual teaching should be continuous and non-face-to-face assessment. The assessment system should also ensure that students acquire the same competencies as students in the face-to-face modality. The main drawback of virtual teaching is the adaptation of subjects with a high practical content. In this work we present the adaptation of the laboratory practices in human osteology, belonging to the subject Biological Anthropology that is taught in the first course of the Degree in History and Heritage to the virtual modality at the University of Burgos. In the face-to-face mode these practices are performed with real bones from the Human Evolution Laboratory (LEH) collection of the University of Burgos. The aim of laboratory practices is that students learn to recognize the different bones (and structures) of the human body, and identify and apply the basic tools of research in human osteometry. To ensure that the students of the non-presential modality acquire the same competences, the best option is that they work with 3D models of the bones. In this regard, in the LEH we have a 3D scanner (NextEngine's Desktop 3D Scanner) used for bone scanning and software for its treatment (ScanStudio software). However, there are limitations when it comes to making these 3D models available to students so that they can work with them.

This paper presents an on-line free 3D viewer, which is compatible with STL (StereoLithography) file format, the most common representation for 3D systems. The viewer allows students to interact with the model in the three dimensions (rotate, zoom in-out, etc.), measure distances between points, as well as answer questions defined by the teacher, by using annotations on the model. The teacher can publish models, define question banks and assign questionnaires to models. Questions can be connected to specific coordinates within a model. Moreover, the viewer can automatically evaluate students' responses and tasks. The use of this tool shortens the differences between the face-to-face laboratories and the online education and being a web application facilitates future integrations with learning management systems like Moodle, Blackboard, edX, between others.

Keywords:

e-learning, 3D viewer, human osteology, anthropology.