Effective Implementation of eBook Guide Supports Student Success in Occupational Therapy Anatomy Education

Abstract

EBooks have been proven to be a successful supplemental resource in cadaveric anatomy laboratory sessions. However, the implementation of the eBook and its impact on student performance, especially in occupational therapy (OT) anatomy laboratory sessions, has not been well documented. This study shows that providing students with an eBook guide enhances student learning and increases eBook usage. For lab sessions, an eBook guide directed students to eBook specific figures and text that related to that session’s material. In alignment with the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework, providing eBooks as well as a guide gave students multiple avenues to learn human anatomy. Laboratory sessions were split between days, with access or no access to an eBook guide to determine which learning environment better supported student learning in lab sessions. Student performance was assessed with laboratory quizzes following each session. EBook usage was also collected across three learning environments: a) when eBook guides were provided during a lab session, b) when eBook guides were not provided during a lab session, and c) outside of the in-person lab sessions. Students\u27 performance and eBook usage increased with access to an eBook guide. It was determined that eBooks can increase student performance and are a supplemental tool to learn anatomy, consistent with the UDL framework, but only when students were provided with specific instructions on how to use the eBook. This suggests that effective implementation of technology into an OT anatomy lab requires explicit guidance on how students use the technology to support student success