Neuroanatomy of the spinal pathways: Evaluation of an interactive multimedia e-learning resource

Creating evidence-based engaging online learning resources in neuroanatomy

Online anatomical resources are rising in popularity since the COVID-19 pandemic, but the pedagogical principles and effectiveness of their use remain unclear. This article aims to demonstrate evidence-informed ways in which fellow educators can create engaging online learning resources in clinical neuroanatomy and compare the effectiveness of text-based and online learning resources. Data were analyzed from the Soton Brain Hub (SBH) YouTube page. Separately, a cross-sectional study comparing the learning gain of using text-based and video resources was done. The knowledge gain and retention were compared between groups using a pre-teaching and post-teaching multiple choice questions. YouTube analytics showed the average time a viewer spends on a video was found to be highly correlated to the length of the video, r = 0.77, p < 0.001 (0.69-0.82). The cross-sectional study indicated a significant difference in mean normalized learning gain of video resources 61.9% (n = 53, CI 56.0-67.7%) versus text resources 49.6% (n = 23, CI 39.1-60.1%) (p = 0.030). However, there was no difference in retained learning gain between video resources 39.1% (n = 29, CI 29.2-49.0%) versus text-based 40.0% (n = 13, CI 23.9-56.1%) (p = 0.919). Students engage most with short videos less than 5 min which reduces the intrinsic load of learning. Online resources are as effective as text-based resources in providing learning gain and retention. In the future, the continued rise in popularity of online learning resources may result in further reduction in traditional face-to-face teaching.

eNEUROANAT-CF: a Conceptual Instructional Design Framework for Neuroanatomy e-Learning Tools

In an era which is witnessing a significant rise in incidence of neurological diseases, there is also a rise in neurophobia: the diminished confidence of clinical practitioners and students to manage patients with neurological conditions. In this context, the perceived nexus between neuroanatomy-phobia (the challenges and fear associated with learning neuroanatomy) and neurophobia highlighted the need to revisit the neuroanatomy pedagogies and their instructional designs. e-Learning can be effectively employed to enhance students' learning of neuroanatomy. This perspective describes a conceptual framework for online neuroanatomy learning (e-neuroanatomy learning conceptual framework (eNEUROANAT-CF)), which provides a theoretical grounding to newly developed neuroanatomy e-learning resources, by offering a set of instructional design principles. The framework is rooted in the theories of adult learning, cognitive load, and Mayer's theory of multimedia learning. eNEUROANAT-CF was validated by imparting user opinion regarding the best perceived instructional design features for learning neuroanatomy. Furthermore, it was effectively employed to inform the pedagogical construct of an e-tool to help students learn the spinal pathways. The perspective highlights the theoretical underpinnings of the eNEUROANAT-CF under seven categories, namely "avoidance of cognitive overload," "learning style preferences," "contextualization," "motivation," "social learning," "feedback/reflection," and "active learning." In addition, elaborative examples are provided, which explains how eNEUROANAT-CF informed the instructional design features of the abovementioned e-tool. The authors propose that any novel, interactive neuroanatomy e-learning resource rooted in the instructional design principles outlined by the eNEUROANAT-CF will improve users' learning and understanding of neuroanatomy. The research shows promise to help break the perceived nexus between neuroanatomy-phobia and neurophobia.