127 - Station-based Neuroanatomy Laboratory Instruction with Donor Specimens Exploits Limited Pre-clinical Curricular Time to Increase Student Engagement and Improve Learning Outcomes

Poster Board Number: 127
There are separate poster presentation times for odd and even posters.
Odd poster #s – first hour
Even poster #s – second hour

Co-authors:

Deborah Barany - Assistant Professor, AU/UGA Medical Partnership; Ariel VanLeuven - Assistant Professor, AU/UGA Medical Partnership; Brett Szymik - Associate Professor, AU/UGA Medical Partnership; DeLoris Wenzel Hesse - Associate Professor, AU/UGA Medical Partnership

Abstract Body : Integration of our UME pre-clinical curriculum led to an imbalance between the number of curricular hours dedicated to neuroanatomy instruction and the significant cognitive load required of students to learn this material. To augment student understanding of the anatomical and functional organization of the brain, we designed and implemented station-based laboratory sessions during which students examined whole and dissected brains, photographs of stained specimens, and various imaging modalities.



First-year medical students (N = 120, 30 per laboratory section) were provided with pre-laboratory content guides that introduced neuroanatomy structures and their anatomical relationships. During each of three laboratory sessions, learning objectives, structure lists, and labeled diagrams guided student learning as they rotated through each station (6-7 stations per session; 20 minutes per station), facilitated by guidance from instructors. We examined whether this efficient and organized delivery of neuroanatomy material was associated with improved laboratory examination outcomes. Students also provided qualitative and quantitative feedback by completing an anonymous survey.



Following the two-year implementation of our neuroanatomy laboratory curriculum, there was a two percent increase in average laboratory examination scores, despite the reduction in curricular hours. Post-laboratory feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Students reported that the neuroanatomy lab content and station-based format was comprehensive and effectively reinforced learning of concepts in other components of the curriculum. Furthermore, students valued the hands-on experience of learning with whole and dissected brain specimens, considering it more valuable than relying solely on models or images.



Our findings show that the novel station-based neuroanatomy laboratory curriculum was favorably perceived by students as an effective and efficient format for laboratory instruction. Furthermore, scaffolding in-person laboratory instruction with pre-laboratory activities reduced cognitive load and contributed to an enhanced understanding of neuroanatomy content. This approach can be implemented in UME neuroanatomy courses, without requiring a considerable number of donor specimens, independent of class size. While we observed the benefits of increased student engagement and improved learning outcomes, it should be noted that this approach may require increased faculty hours for session preparation. Overall, we found that the guided, station-based instruction offered students a comprehensive exploration of clinical neuroanatomy and optimized the alignment of curricular time with the scope of neuroanatomy content.