Instruction with 3D Computer Generated Anatomy

Abstract

Research objectives. 1) To create an original and useful software application; 2) to investigate the utility of dyna-linking for teaching upper limb anatomy. Dyna-linking is an arrangement whereby interaction with one representation automatically drives the behaviour of another representation. Method. An iterative user-centred software development methodology was used to build, test and refine successive prototypes of an upper limb software tutorial. A randomised trial then tested the null hypothesis: There will be no significant difference in learning outcomes between participants using dyna-linked 2D and 3D representations of the upper limb and those using non dyna-linked representations. Data was analysed in SPSS using factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results and analysis. The study failed to reject the null hypothesis as there was no signi cant di fference between experimental conditions. Post-hoc analysis revealed that participants with low prior knowledge performed significantly better (p = 0.036) without dyna-linking (mean gain = 7.45) than with dyna-linking (mean gain = 4.58). Participants with high prior knowledge performed equally well with or without dyna-linking. These findings reveal an aptitude by treatment interaction (ATI) whereby the effectiveness of dyna-linking varies according to learner ability. On average, participants using the non dyna-linked system spent 3 minutes and 4 seconds longer studying the tutorial. Participants using the non dyna-linked system clicked 30% more on the representations. Dyna-linking had a high perceived value in questionnaire surveys (n=48) and a focus group (n=7). Conclusion. Dyna-linking has a high perceived value but may actually over-automate learning by prematurely giving novice learners a fully worked solution. Further research is required to confirm if this finding is repeated in other domains, with different learners and more sophisticated implementations of dyna-linking