Development of interactive patient-based multimedia computer programs in veterinary orthopedic radiology

Online Instructional Module Improves Student Ability to Evaluate for Radiographic Small Intestinal Obstruction in Dogs

Radiographic diagnosis of mechanical small intestinal obstruction in dogs is a common and important skill for the small animal practitioner; however, developing skills in this area is challenging. Feedback and practice are both essential to increasing accuracy in interpretation, which can be maximized with focused, self-paced training. We aimed to characterize the efficacy of a self-paced, online module in improving student skill and confidence in interpretation of radiographic small intestinal obstruction in dogs. An instructional module was developed using a series of abdominal radiographs of dogs with and without small intestinal mechanical obstruction; the module allows students to form a diagnosis and then provides feedback on each case. Before and after using the module, 32 veterinary students completed a survey and 20-case abdominal radiograph quiz. This quiz presented 20 abdominal radiograph cases and asked if each radiographic series demonstrated small intestinal mechanical obstruction and the student's confidence level in the diagnosis. Prior to completing the module, average quiz accuracy was 64%; this accuracy increased to 83% after completing the module. Student confidence in their diagnosis also increased post-module completion. On surveys, students had a low initial confidence in their ability to accurately interpret normal versus small intestinal obstruction via abdominal radiographs; confidence improved on the post-module survey. Students made positive comments regarding the module and reviewed it positively as a learning experience. This instructional module appears to be a successful way to teach and reinforce radiographic interpretation skills for small intestinal obstruction in dogs.

Self-Efficacy and Student Satisfaction in a Clinical-Year Diagnostic Imaging Course Using an Online Instruction Format

Accurate interpretation of radiographic images is critical to diagnosing clinical patients. Remote instruction in radiology has become more common at veterinary colleges as academic institutions struggle to fill open veterinary radiologist positions and as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study sought to gather the feedback of fourth-year veterinary students via pre- and post-study surveys (n = 45) and focus groups (n = 7) about a newly implemented 2-week long radiology rotation. Ninety-eight percent of students reported having taken an online course before, and on both pre- and post-study surveys, students commonly reported feeling interested, determined, and attentive. On average, students reported that they were neither more nor less engaged than they would have been in an in-person course and that they understood the material neither better nor worse than they would have in an in-person course. Students reported that the key to their success was primarily hard work; secondarily, instructor availability and student ability were important. Students did not rate luck as having much influence on their success. Although diagnostic imaging can be a challenging subject to master, students effectively learned this subject through online instruction. They provided feedback for the course's continued improvement; their comments centered around improved interactivity, including providing automated quiz questions' answers and increased instructor availability. Data collected in this study will help to guide further development of the radiology course.

Development of an Online Distance Learning Platform Combining Anatomy, Imaging, and Surgical Practice to Support Mastery Learning of the Equine Locomotor Apparatus

There are many challenges in teaching veterinary anatomy, such as available classroom time, costs, and difficulties accessing animal cadavers, mainly due to animal welfare concerns. Furthermore, veterinary surgeons and radiologists complain that recent graduates lack anatomical knowledge. On the other hand, the current limitations of face-to-face teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic suggest that the development of online distance education tools is necessary, mainly in specialties that lack this type of material. Teaching platforms promoting the integration of anatomy with other applied disciplines such as imaging and surgery in the horse were not found in the consulted literature. Therefore, this work aimed to develop an online distance education platform for studying the surgical anatomy of a horse's locomotor apparatus as a complementary tool for training students enrolled in undergraduate courses in veterinary surgery. The locomotor apparatus was chosen as the focus as it is the most commonly found in equine surgeries. Anatomical pieces referring to the locomotor apparatus were prepared. These were complemented with material related to diagnostic imaging, surgery videos, theoretical explanations, and an interactive radiological anatomy tool. Finally, all the material was uploaded to a virtual platform accessible via the Internet. The platform is expected to be a tool that helps students in surgical training and prepares them with a better understanding of anatomy and its application in surgery.

Effectiveness of a Radiographic Anatomy Software Application for Enhancing Learning of Veterinary Radiographic Anatomy

The goal of this study was to determine the effectiveness of an interactive radiology software application that we developed to enhance learning of normal canine radiographic anatomy. All first-year veterinary medical students were eligible to participate in this subject pre-test-post-test experimental design. When presented with the software application, all students had completed two terms of gross anatomy in which the complete anatomy of the dog had been taught using a combination of lectures and laboratory dissections, including radiographic examples. The software application was divided into four body regions: front limb, hind limb, skull/spine, and thorax/abdomen, each with a learning mode and a quiz mode. Quizzes were composed of 15 questions drawn pseudo-randomly without repeat from all structures within a region (median 206 structures). Students were initially given the software application with only the quiz mode activated. After completing four quizzes, one for each body region, students were given access to the software application with both learning mode and quiz mode activated. Students were instructed to spend 30 minutes using the learning mode to study the radiographic anatomy of each region and to retake each quiz. Quiz scores after using the learning mode were significantly higher for each body region (p<.001), with a large effect size for all four regions (Cohen's d=0.83-1.56). These results suggest that this radiographic anatomy software application is an effective tool for students to use to learn normal radiographic anatomy.

Veterinary student attitudes toward curriculum integration at James Cook University

The aim of this study was to investigate the attitudes of veterinary science students to activities designed to promote curriculum integration. Students (N = 33) in their second year of a five-year veterinary degree were surveyed in regard to their attitudes to activities that aimed to promote integration. Imaging, veterinary practice practicals, and a field trip to a cattle property were classified as the three most valuable learning activities that were designed to promote integration. Veterinary practice practicals, case studies, and palpable anatomy were regarded by students as helping them to learn information presented in other teaching sessions. They also appeared to enhance student motivation, and students indicated that the activities assisted them with their preparation for and performance at examinations. Attitudes to whether the learning exercises helped improve a range of skills and specific knowledge varied, with 39-88% of students agreeing that specific skills and knowledge were enhanced to a large or very large extent by the learning activities. The results indicate that learning activities designed to promote curriculum integration helped improve motivation, reinforced learning, created links between foundational knowledge and its application, and assisted with the development of skills that are related to what students will do in their future careers.

Modes of information delivery in radiologic anatomy education: Impact on student performance

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

This study provides a systematic assessment of different methods of delivering radiologic teaching content (lecture, printed text, and digital content delivery) under standard conditions, enabling comparison of the effectiveness of these methods.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A printed atlas of sectional anatomy was used as a standard. Digital content was developed on the basis of the printed atlas. Lecturers used both the printed and the digital content to prepare lectures. Standardized teaching material thus created was presented to second-term undergraduate students who had attended the school's anatomy course, but had not received any radiology teaching. Multiple choice examinations were used to assess the students' ability to recognize anatomical structures in known as well as unknown images. In a survey, the students' subjective experience of the learning process was assessed.

RESULTS

No difference was seen between the groups regarding examination results. Students preferred a combination of digital media and lectures by enthusiastic teachers.

CONCLUSIONS

The shortage of teachers requires a compromise concerning the delivery of radiologic anatomy content in a medical school setting. Based on our results, we recommend a combined approach of lecture and digital content delivery.

ELERA: a WWW application for evaluating and developing radiologic skills and knowledge

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

To provide an online facility for evaluating, comparing, and building expertise in radiologic anatomy and clinical radiology.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Project participants were recruited from an experienced special interest group of students at the local medical school. A rigid protocol was agreed upon, defining and assigning the tasks of case selection, data entry, test task creation, and peer review. The presentation of test tasks and evaluation of user input was implemented as a custom web application.

RESULTS

ELERA, an online assessment and learning resource based on 1,650 pathologic cases and 550 anatomy cases, was created and made publicly accessible as a world wide web application.

CONCLUSION

The project design facilitated the creation of a free, highly accessible and user-friendly resource that offers capabilities for individual longitudinal and intersubject comparative assessment.

The impact of a new educational strategy on acquiring neonatology skills

OVERVIEW

A shortage of staff for teaching neonatology skills to large numbers of students, in small groups and following a new curriculum, necessitated an innovative educational strategy. This entailed the development and implementation of an interactive multimedia program (CD-ROM) to deliver information about skills and to demonstrate them.

METHODS

Students had to study a specific skill using the CD-ROM and then practise in the Skills Laboratory, supported by lecturers who provided formative evaluation.

OBJECTIVES

The aims of this study were to assess the students' perspectives on the new strategy, and to compare the skills of students following the new curriculum to those of students following the traditional curriculum, who do not follow structured programmes on practical skills but experience a practical neonatology rotation.

RESULTS

The evaluation of the CD-ROM program was very favourable. The majority of students still preferred live demonstrations but found the CD-ROM useful for revision purposes. With the exception of one skill, endotracheal intubation, the new curriculum students were found to be as competent as the students following the traditional curriculum and performed mask ventilation and cardiac massage significantly better than them.