An Analysis of the Effectiveness of Incorporating Virtual Cadaver Study on Student Performance in Human Anatomy and Physiology

In an ideal Human Anatomy & Physiology (Human A&P) laboratory, students would use human cadavers for study. However, due to the limited supply of human cadavers and high cost of constructing and maintaining laboratory facilities, many institutions choose to use various animal organs and models to teach human anatomy. Dissections are an irreplaceable tool to help students understand human anatomy because models often have garish colors that allow easy discrimination of structures but do not show the colors and textures associated with real tissue. Additionally, cadavers, organs. and models must remain within the laboratory, so students have limited access. The use of virtual cadaver software is an innovative way to provide students with unlimited access to a more holistic approach to human anatomy, as well as tools to study the structure and function of the human body. While some universities are choosing to completely replace dissections with virtual cadaver software. The University of Mississippi Human Anatomy & Physiology I (BISC 206) course uses virtual dissections to supplement, not substitute, for dissections. Prior to the initiation of this study, it was hypothesized that incorporating virtual cadaver software into Human Anatomy and Physiology courses helps the students study, increases their understanding of the human body, and improves their retention of the material learned both in the classroom and in the laboratory. BISC 206 students are required to use Anatomy & Physiology Revealed® (APR) software during the required laboratory period. In addition, they dissect animal organs and examine models, when plausible. APR provides online access to a layered virtual cadaver dissection as well as quizzes, organ descriptions and functions, and even imaging such as X-rays and CT scans. In the current study, all students in Human A&P I during the fall semester of 2012 were asked to participate. Three surveys were administered during the laboratory sessions, at the beginning, middle. and end of the course. In order to maintain anonymity, the students were asked to qualitatively evaluate how APR affected their interest in Human Anatomy and Physiology and whether virtual cadaver software supplemented with dissection and models, improved their grades in the course. A significant majority of students felt that APR not only improved their grades in the course, but also made the material more interesting and would like to use virtual cadaver software in future courses. Therefore, using virtual cadaver software to supplement laboratory dissections and models assists the students in preparing for test and quiz material in Human A&P I by giving them unlimited access to real human tissue and providing additional learning aids in the form of histology, organ descriptions and functions, quizzes, animations, and imaging