Use of a Garment as an Alternative to Body Painting in Equine Musculoskeletal Anatomy Teaching

The Evolution of Educational Technology in Veterinary Anatomy Education

"All learning is in the learner, not the teacher." Plato was right. The adage has passed the test of time and is still true in an era where technology accompanies us in not only professional but also recreational life every day, everywhere. On the other hand, the learner has evolved and so have the sources being used to satisfy curiosity and learning. It therefore appears intuitive to embrace these technological advances to bring knowledge to our pupils with the aim to facilitate learning and improve performance. It must be clear that these technologies are not intended to replace but rather consolidate knowledge partly acquired during more conventional teaching of anatomy. Veterinary medicine is no outlier. Educating students to the complexity of anatomy in multiple species requires that three-dimensional concepts be taught and understood accurately if appropriate treatment is to be set in place thereafter. Veterinary anatomy education has up to recently walked diligently in the footsteps of John Hunter's medical teaching using specimens, textbooks, and drawings. The discipline has yet to embrace fully the benefits of advancement being made in technology for the benefit of its learners. Three-dimensional representation of anatomy is undeniably a logical and correct way to teach whether it is through the demonstration of cadaveric specimen or alternate reality using smartphones, tablets, headsets or other digital media. Here we review some key aspects of the evolution of educational technology in veterinary anatomy.

Body Painting of the Horse and Cow to Learn Surface Anatomy

Gross anatomy is considered one of the most challenging subjects in teaching veterinary medicine. The use of body painting is reported in teaching surface human anatomy, but such reports are scarce in veterinary medicine. The aim of this study was to describe a practical session for teaching surface anatomy using body painting with second-semester students of veterinary medicine. Two practical sessions using live animals (equine and bovine) were offered with a focus on the locomotor and nervous systems and splanchnology. Students believed that the body painting sessions helped them to understand the localization of structures, promoting long-term retention and integration of knowledge, and to approach large animals with more self-confidence. Forty-nine students took three short theoretical and practical exams: a pre-test on splanchnology (Q1), an immediate post-test on splanchnology (Q2), and a post-test after 7 weeks on the locomotor and nervous systems (Q3). Correct answers for theoretical Q1 and Q2 were statistically different (2.04 and 3.11 out of 5, respectively; p < .001), and higher scores were found for Q3 compared with Q1 (2.49 and 1.02 out of 5, respectively). The most common error observed in practical Q1 was underestimation of the real size of organs such as lungs, rumen in cattle, and cecum in horses. The results showed that body painting sessions improved learning of anatomical concepts and could serve as a bridge between cadaver anatomy and living animal anatomy. More body painting sessions could be included in other semesters of the veterinary medicine curriculum to better integrate anatomy knowledge.