A Pilot Study of the Impact of Three-Dimensional Stereoscopic Models of Pelvic Anatomy on Short- and Long-Term Retention in First-Year Medical Students

Despite proliferative use of anatomical virtual models, there are few studies exploring whether stereoscopic models help medical students retain information regarding three-dimensional (3D) relationships of structures. This pilot study examined first-year medical students' exposure to a virtual...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inHAPS Educator Vol. 24; no. 3; pp. 7 - 22
Main Authors Meyer, Edgar R, James, Amber M, Sinning, Allan, Thompson, Kenneth, Cui, Dongmei
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Human Anatomy and Physiology Society 2020
Subjects
Anatomy
Comparative Analysis
Computer Simulation
Computer Software
Correlation
Instructional Effectiveness
Medical Education
Medical Students
Pilot Projects
Retention (Psychology)
Science Tests
Scores
State Universities
Student Attitudes
Teaching Methods
Tests
Mississippi
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Summary:Despite proliferative use of anatomical virtual models, there are few studies exploring whether stereoscopic models help medical students retain information regarding three-dimensional (3D) relationships of structures. This pilot study examined first-year medical students' exposure to a virtual 3D stereoscopic pelvis model and their corresponding short- and long-term retention. Participants were administered a series of tests before and after their 3D learning experience, including a pre-3D test, a mental rotation test (MRT), a short-term post-3D test, a block exam, and a long-term post-3D test. Students also completed a survey exploring their satisfaction with 3D imaging in general and its effectiveness in teaching anatomical material. Exam results were analyzed using a repeated measures ANOVA, and the pre-3D test scores within the 3D groups, were compared using one-way ANOVA's with each of the other performance measures. Final results showed a significantly higher difference in the students' pre-3D test and their immediate short-term retention post-3D test scores. Results also showed a significantly lower difference in students' pre-3D test and their one-month long-term retention test scores. There was no significant difference in the students' pre-3D and six-month long-term retention test scores. However, small sample sizes suggest further research on correlations between stereoscopic imaging of pelvic anatomy and other complex regions and students' short- and long-term retention.
ISSN:2473-3806