What does this research mean for the field?

Different anatomy instructional modalities—prosection, plastic models, and video atlases—yield comparable cognitive outcomes, indicating that learning effectiveness relies more on pedagogical integration than the specific medium, while a multimodal approach supports positive emotional adaptation. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

To compare the cognitive outcomes and emotional learning experiences of first-year medical students taught using cadaveric prosection, plastic models, and video atlas resources.

August 30, 2026BMC Medical EducationOpen Access

Learning anatomy through multiple modalities: medical students’ learning experiences and outcomes

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To compare the cognitive outcomes and emotional learning experiences of first-year medical students taught using cadaveric prosection, plastic models, and video atlas resources.
Conducted a prospective crossover within-subjects trial involving N=45 first-year medical students sequentially exposed to prosection, plastic models, and Acland's Video Atlas across two anatomy topics.
Assessed theoretical and practical anatomy knowledge using pre- and post-tests alongside lectures and practical sessions.
Evaluated student emotional responses, perceptions, and preferences via Likert-scale surveys and qualitative open-ended questions analyzed using thematic analysis.
All three instructional groups demonstrated statistically significant improvement between pre-test and post-test scores (p < 0.05), with no statistically significant differences observed in theoretical, practical, or total post-test scores between modalities.
Tool-specific performance advantages were detected on assessment items corresponding directly to cadaver- and video-based formats.
Thematic analysis identified three primary themes (self-development, learning strategies, and modality evaluation), capturing an emotional shift from initial anxiety to confidence and highlighting the complementary value of each tool.

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Implication

Crossover study reveals equivalent knowledge gains across prosection, models, and video in medical students, indicating instructional integration matters more than medium type.

Cite This Study

Çandır et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a93f02f6c1a8fb52e79c33f https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-026-10050-y

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Implication

Crossover study reveals equivalent knowledge gains across prosection, models, and video in medical students, indicating instructional integration matters more than medium type.

Learning anatomy through multiple modalities: medical students’ learning experiences and outcomes

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

Learning anatomy through multiple modalities: medical students’ learning experiences and outcomes

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

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