New frontiers in anatomy education

Desktop computers have been essential components of scientific laboratories—and line items in grants—for nearly two decades. But the days of using the computer strictly in the lab for manuscript preparation, data manipulation, Medline searches, or DNA sequence comparisons are long gone. Educators and researchers are finding unique and powerful ways in which to incorporate cheaper and more robust digital technologies into their education plans. The promises of computer-assisted learning (CAL) for the educator include: more freedom to present visual anatomic information in interesting ways, less effort and more flexibility in lecture preparation over time, and easier dissemination of knowledge within a more user-interactive environment; and for students, novel opportunities for learning the fundamentals they need to succeed in modern medicine and biomedical research. In addition, for some institutions financial and other considerations require that reduced dissection lab time must be supplemented with CAL programs. In an upward spiral of innovation, new applications for Web- and computer-based education are recognized daily by educators—and in turn, these advances in education encourage development in the growing market of powerful interactive learning and presentation software. With this special issue of The New Anatomist we present four tutorials describing new and cutting-edge techniques that allow anatomists and other bioscientists to effectively employ the Web and other digital image delivery systems in educating the next generation of physicians and scientists. What makes animation work and how can it be used effectively in biomedical and anatomy education? Guttman (2000) offers an introduction to the concept of computer animation, reviews some attributes of different software applications, and shares some examples of educational animations. Want to push the latest technologies to their limits to complement histology and gross anatomy lab? Trelease and colleagues (2000) explain in depth how one common digital environment—QuickTime VR®—can be used to prepare everything from virtual histology slides to Web-ready virtual anatomy specimens that can be reversibly dissected, layer by layer. Is your modem too slow for rapid and efficient downloading of images from the Internet? Bacro and colleagues (2000) show how educators can use CD-ROMs to distribute anatomy education movies to students in a cost- and time-effective manner. Is your budget for educational software tools squeezed to the limit? Carmichael and Pawlina (2000) show step-by-step how even a novice can use Microsoft PowerPoint® to create simple and effective animations for the lecture hall or course website. The authors provide online supplemental e-files of sample drawings that you can animate, right on your PC. Of course, the discussion of educational frontiers in anatomy need not only be limited to the digital realm. The whole approach to anatomy education is under upheaval worldwide, as educators scramble to somehow engineer fewer and fewer gross anatomy hours into meaningful medical school curricula (see Paalman [2000] and references therein; or go to ANATOMY WEB's online forum “ANATOMISTS RESPOND” at: www.wiley.com/anatomy). In order to address this growing issue, Giffin and Drake (2000) introduce a new integrated curriculum which they designed at their institution for first-year medical students. This curriculum combines broad aspects of neuroscience and gross anatomy of the head and neck in a problem-based course. They argue that this course could serve as a model for how other basic systems can be taught in order to maximize the clinical relevance of anatomy for students. These articles by no means serve as an exhaustive bibliography for the anatomy educator interested in venturing to the edge of the known universe of anatomy education. Copious references and resources—both online and in print—are included for each work. In addition, ANATOMY WEB lists additional resource links devoted to aspects of science and anatomy education at all levels. As part of its mission to serve as a nexus of information to anatomists worldwide, ANATOMY WEB encourages suggestions from our visitors for additional resource links. So log on, click on over, and help us create a living portal to new frontiers in anatomy education.