Missing Anatomy Background: Microlearning Can Help
Authors: Cevallos Manuel , Atkinson Margaret , Nguyen Daniel , Somaratna Anupama 
Published: May 2022

Medical schools are evolving, and admission criteria are changing. The Anatomy and Physiology course, the classic BIO 201, and BIO 202 are no longer a complete requirement in the application. It is common to find two groups of students: one with and one without anatomy background in the first year. The MS1 class from 2021 who had exposure to the previous anatomy courses accounted for only 50% of students (Intro. to Anatomy‐18%, A&P‐15%, Neuroanatomy‐9%, Gross anatomy‐8%).

The microlearning method is a learning technique that uses small and specific information quickly, usually not over 10 minutes. It can use material such as videos, flashcards, or training quizzes, and it can be used on any screen device.

The microlearning activity was designed and evaluated to identify satisfaction in MS1 students and the advantages and disadvantages of this learning technique. The final goal will be to assess outcomes in a second phase.

Methods

One hundred MS1 students were invited to explore the microlearning method using Talent Cards (TC) as a learning platform. The topics selected were basic concepts in anatomy and were divided into four modules: anatomic position, planes, directions, and movements. After the course, voluntary students answered a survey.

Results

From 100 MS1 students, 35 students answered the survey. Nineteen students did not use the app. Based on the TC login data, 21 students used the app; only 16 of the students using the app answered the survey. The main reason for the group responding “NO used TC” was lack of interest (82%), followed by basic information (they already know that information), frequent app technical malfunctions, and lack of interactivity (71%, 52%, 59%, respectively). However, when asked if they would be interested in future use, 62% answered maybe and 25% yes.

From the group “YES used TC,” 68% responded that the app helps achieve goals. However, from the 16 students who used the app, 73% responded that the content helps achieve goals. Exploring the downsides in the app was technical malfunctions (glitching, login, lagging), limitations in material, limitation of in‐app features, not being aesthetically pleasing, and an unfriendly user interface. On the other hand, the content downside was a lack of alignment with quiz questions and poor anatomy photo quality. However, the interest in using it again was that 44% answered yes and 56% maybe. The average uses per module per student was 2.27 (range varied from 1 to 5 times). The overall experience of using TC as a platform for microlearning was 6.1/10 on average, ranging between 2 to 9.

Conclusion

The microlearning method is a workable technique that has a good effect on healthcare students in multiple aspects such as studying, memorizing, and performing procedures (De Gagne, 2019). In our experience, the overall satisfaction was 6.1/10. We identified many technical issues which affected the performance of the technique. We believe that this technique can help students without previous anatomy background; 73% of students responded “Content” helped achieve goals. The next step will identify a better platform and measure outcomes between groups.

Ref

De Gagne JC, Park HK, Hall K, Woodward A, Yamane S, Kim SS. Microlearning in Health Professions Education: Scoping Review. JMIR Med Educ. 2019;5(2):e13997. Published 2019 Jul 23. doi:10.2196/13997.