Diagram comprehension ability of college students in an introductory biology course

College biology courses commonly use diagrams to convey information. These visual representations are embedded in course materials with the expectation that students can comprehend and learn from them. Educational research, however, suggests that many students have difficulty understanding diagrams and the conventions (e.g., labels, arrows) they contain. The present study evaluates biology students' ability to comprehend scientific diagrams and the diagram characteristics that affect this comprehension. Participants were students in a physiology course who completed a multiple-choice test of diagram comprehension ability (DCA) (Cromley JG, Perez TC, Fitzhugh SL, Newcombe NS, Wills TW, Tanaka JC. J Exp Educ 81: 511-537, 2013). We coded the conventions used in each test diagram and used these codes to capture the diagram characteristics of conventions and complexity. Descriptive analyses examine students' ability to understand scientific diagrams and which diagram characteristics cause the most difficulty. We also compared groups with low and high DCA scores to evaluate how students at different levels of comprehension ability are affected by diagram characteristics. Results show relatively poor DCA; the average total test score was only 69.5%. The conventions used in a diagram also affected diagram comprehension, and results show students had the most difficulty comprehending diagrams using a letter or numbering system, where arbitrary letters/numbers were used to signify objects and diagrams using cut-outs that showed cross sections and magnified interior views. Additionally, students' comprehension was higher on diagrams with higher complexity (i.e., more types of conventions used), potentially indicating students are able to take advantage of the supports that different conventions provide. Implications for instruction are identified.

Evaluation of CIAP (Clarification, Illustration, Application, Participation) as a teaching tool in rheumatology

INTRODUCTION

The CIAP (Clarification, Illustration, Application, Participation) teaching, was adopted by our faculty since 1988. It allows a pedagogical approach favoring teacher / student contact. It puts the disciple in the center of the work. However, this method has been initiated for a long time, its actual place in our teaching is not yet well established and not all teachers adhere to it because it has never been evaluated before.

AIM

To evaluate the CIAP teaching in rheumatology in abarticular shoulder pathology in DCEM1 students.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study of students in DCEM1 during the internship at the Kassab institute. Students were informed about the teaching (CIAP) a week before so they could read their corresponding self-teaching module in advance. A pre-test and a post-test were prepared in advance as well as an evaluation of the teaching by the learners.

RESULTS

We founded after this teaching, an improvement of the score of the pre-test with a progression of the means statistically significant (p <10-3). Concerning the assessment of CIAP teaching by our learners in terms of relevance in general, organization and implementation, it showed a majority of satisfaction with a predominance of a "2" rating according to the scale of Likert.

CONCLUSION

Our work has highlighted a positive impact and a good adhesion of students to the abarticular pathology by the CIAP teaching.

Print Material in Cancer Prevention: an Evaluation of Three Booklets Designed with and for Alaska's Community Health Workers

With increased internet access in rural Alaska and subsequent shifts in access to health information, we sought to understand the current role of printed cancer education booklets focused on recommended cancer screening exams. This evaluation reviewed three cancer education booklets specifically created with and for Alaska's Community Health Workers (CHWs) and the people in their communities. The booklets were created in an adaptation of empowerment theory, focused on working within a community-based participatory framework, in a culturally respectful manner, to shift cancer prevention norms by empowering CHWs to catalyze health behavior change for both themselves and their communities. The booklets incorporated traditional Alaska Native values and were designed to connect with readers at an affective and informational place that emphasized relationships. Since 2010, over 20,000 booklets have been distributed. Between January 2013 and March 2014, CHWs from throughout Alaska were invited to complete a three-page anonymous written evaluation of the booklets during community health trainings in Anchorage, Alaska. A total of 102 CHWs completed evaluations, with the vast majority indicating that they liked (100 %), and learned (96 %) from, the booklets. The evaluation results suggest that printed booklets designed in a culturally responsive manner, which both communicate medically accurate information and reach readers at an affective place to inspire action through raising awareness in relationship with others, are a helpful way to receive, discuss, and disseminate cancer screening information among Alaska Native people.

Medical and Scientific Illustration in the United States (US)

The field of Medical and Scientific Illustration in the United States is large and constantly changing. In 1974, when the author began his studies, everything about the field was different. At the time, a student in the U.S. could go to a number of Universities (4 year) or Colleges (2 year) to study this subject. More than forty years later, only a few programs still offer similar programs of study. The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), where the author is a professor and Randolph Community College in North Carolina are all that remain from the more than ten that had operated. These two programs are very different from one another and there is not adequate space in this article to expand on these differences. Program details can be found online at: http://cias.rit.edu/schools/photographic-arts-sciences/undergraduate-biomedical-photographic-communications.

Evaluating arts-based cancer education using an internet survey among Alaska community health workers

Cancer, considered a rare disease among Alaska Native people as recently as the 1950s, surpassed heart disease in the 1990s to become the leading cause of mortality. In response to Alaska's village-based Community Health Workers' (CHWs) desire to learn more about cancer for themselves and the people in their communities, cancer education that incorporated the expressive arts of moving, drawing, and sculpting was developed, implemented, and evaluated. Arts-based education integrates the dynamic wisdom and experiences of Alaska Native people and western medical knowledge to share cancer information in a culturally respectful way. Between May 2009 and March 2013, 12 5-day courses that included arts activities to support cancer information were provided for 118 CHWs in Anchorage, AK, USA. A post-course internet survey was conducted in April 2013, to learn how arts-based cancer education affected participants' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Surveys were completed by 54 of the 96 course participants; 22 course participants were lost to follow-up. As a result of integrating the arts with cancer education, respondents reported an increase in their cancer knowledge and comfort with talking about cancer. Additionally, 82 % (44) of respondents described feeling differently about cancer. By integrating the arts with cancer information, participants reported healthy behavior changes for themselves (76 %), with their families (70 %), and in their work (72 %). The expressive arts of moving, drawing, and sculpting provided a creative pathway for diverse adult learners in Alaska to increase their cancer knowledge, comfort with talking about cancer, and wellness behaviors.

Humane images: visual rhetoric in depictions of atypical genital anatomy and sex differentiation

Visual images are widely used in medical and patient education to enhance spoken or written explanations. This paper considers the role of such illustrations in shaping conceptions of the body; specifically, it addresses depictions of variant sexual anatomy and their part in the discursive production of intersex bodies. Visual language--even didactic, 'factual' visual language--carries latent as well as manifest content, and influences self-perceptions and social attitudes. In the case of illustrations about atypical sex development, where the need for non-stigmatising communication is crucial, it is especially important to consider the implicit messages conveyed by imagery and compositional strategies.

Style and non-style in anatomical illustration: From Renaissance Humanism to Henry Gray

Style is a familiar category for the analysis of art. It is less so in the history of anatomical illustration. The great Renaissance and Baroque picture books of anatomy illustrated with stylish woodcuts and engravings, such as those by Charles Estienne, Andreas Vesalius and Govard Bidloo, showed figures in dramatic action in keeping with philosophical and theological ideas about human nature. Parallels can be found in paintings of the period, such as those by Titian, Michelangelo and Hans Baldung Grien. The anatomists also claimed to portray the body in an objective manner, and showed themselves as heroes of the discovery of human knowledge. Rembrandt's painting of Dr Nicholas Tulp is the best-known image of the anatomist as hero. The British empirical tradition in the 18th century saw William Cheselden and William Hunter working with techniques of representation that were intended to guarantee detailed realism. The ambition to portray forms life-size led to massive volumes, such as those by Antonio Mascagni. John Bell, the Scottish anatomist, criticized the size and pretensions of the earlier books and argued for a plain style adapted to the needs of teaching and surgery. Henry Gray's famous Anatomy of 1858, illustrated by Henry Vandyke Carter, aspired to a simple descriptive mode of functional representation that avoided stylishness, resulting in a style of its own. Successive editions of Gray progressively saw the replacement of Gray's method and of all his illustrations. The 150th anniversary edition, edited by Susan Standring, radically re-thinks the role of Gray's book within the teaching of medicine.

The use of illustration to improve older adults' comprehension of health-related information: is it helpful?

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether explanatory illustrations can improve older adults' comprehension of written health information.

METHODS

Six short health-related texts were selected from websites and pamphlets. Young and older adults were randomly assigned to read health-related texts alone or texts accompanied by explanatory illustrations. Eye movements were recorded while reading. Word recognition, text comprehension, and comprehension of the illustrations were assessed after reading.

RESULTS

Older adults performed as well as or better than young adults on the word recognition and text comprehension measures. However, older adults performed less well than young adults on the illustration comprehension measures. Analysis of readers' eye movements showed that older adults spent more time reading illustration-related phrases and fixating on the illustrations than did young adults, yet had poorer comprehension of the illustrations.

CONCLUSION

Older adults might not benefit from text illustrations because illustrations can be difficult to integrate with the text.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Health practitioners should not assume that illustrations will increase older adults' comprehension of health information.

Using a Media Centre to Facilitate Team‐Based Learning

Team-based learning is a relatively new educational approach in which learning occurs in three phases. Team-based learning is so named because in the third and final phase, students are organized into teams to participate in a classroom team-based learning session. In the Department of Anesthesiology at Boston University Medical Center, a multi-purpose Media Centre is used to facilitate the team-based learning approach. This Media Centre facilitates the creation and study of team-based learning educational materials distributed through a course website.

[Introduction to Mr CHENG Dan-An and his works]

Mr CHENG Dan-an is a famous educationist and acupuncturist in modern China. He established the earliest acupuncture correspondence institution named Chinese Research Society of Acu-moxibustion. Meanwhile he founded the earliest professional magazine, Journal of Acu-moxibustion which played an important role in promoting redevelopment of acu-moxibustion. Mr CHENG Dan-an wrote many famous works. Research on CHENG's academic thoughts and works will help a lot in knowing the development and evolution of modern acupuncturology in the period of the Republic of China. The present paper introduces it by the help of 7 books including Zhenjiu Zhiliao Xue (Chinese Acu-moxibustion Therapeutics).

Annibal Caro's after-dinner speech (1536) and the question of Titian as Vesalius's illustrator

Putative textual proof for Titian's central involvement in producing illustrations for Vesalius's anatomy book "De fabrica" (1543) requires reexamination. On the basis of orthographic, literary, and historical evidence, a phrase in Annibal Caro's after-dinner speech, here dated to 1536, is shown instead to refer ironically to a surgeon's notorious execution in 1517. "Anatomia" was a word in the satirical as well as the medical lexicon. It is important to understand the satirical tone of Caro's speech about a priapic statuette. Delivered during Carnival to the Roman Academy of Virtue, the speech respects neither antiquities nor artists like Michelangelo in its obscene humor.

IMI National Guidelines. Breast photography

The IMI National Guidelines have been prepared as baseline guides on specific aspects of medical illustration practice, and provide auditable standards for the future. They can be implemented in full, or may be amended according to individual requirements. The following is an abridged version of guidelines prepared on behalf of the Institute. The full version, including references and appendices, can be downloaded at www.imi.org.uk.

An introduction to video production

High quality video recording and editing equipment is much more affordable now than in the past. This is tempting medical illustration units to move into offering video production as part of their services. This article provides practical guidance by outlining some of the basic technical information which new users of video equipment need to understand. It also argues that the technical aspects of video form only part of the set of issues for consideration and that video producers also need to think carefully about the way they plan their projects and the way they work with their clients.

Feature aligned volume manipulation for illustration and visualization

In this paper we describe a GPU-based technique for creating illustrative visualization through interactive manipulation of volumetric models. It is partly inspired by medical illustrations, where it is common to depict cuts and deformation in order to provide a better understanding of anatomical and biological structures or surgical processes, and partly motivated by the need for a real-time solution that supports the specification and visualization of such illustrative manipulation. We propose two new feature-aligned techniques, namely surface alignment and segment alignment, and compare them with the axis-aligned techniques which was reported in previous work on volume manipulation. We also present a mechanism for defining features using texture volumes, and methods for computing correct normals for the deformed volume in respect to different alignments. We describe a GPU-based implementation to achieve real-time performance of the techniques and a collection of manipulation operators including peelers, retractors, pliers and dilators which are adaptations of the metaphors and tools used in surgical procedures and medical illustrations. Our approach is directly applicable in medical and biological illustration, and we demonstrate how it works as an interactive tool for focus+context visualization, as well as a generic technique for volume graphics.

Occipital-callosal pathways in children: Validation and atlas development

Diffusion tensor imaging and fiber tracking were used to measure fiber bundles connecting the two occipital lobes in 53 children of 7-12 years of age. Independent fiber bundle estimates originating from the two hemispheres converge onto the lower half of the splenium. This observation validates the basic methodology and suggests that most occipital-callosal fibers connect the two occipital lobes. Within the splenium, fiber bundles are organized in a regular pattern with respect to their cortical projection zones. Visual cortex dorsal to calcarine projects through a large band that fills much of the inferior half of the splenium, while cortex ventral to calcarine sends projections through a band at the anterior inferior edge of the splenium. Pathways projecting to the occipital pole and lateral-occipital regions overlap the dorsal and ventral groups slightly anterior to the center of the splenium. To visualize these pathways in a typical brain, we combined the data into an atlas. The estimated occipital-callosal fiber paths from the atlas form the walls of the occipital horn of the lateral ventricle, with dorsal paths forming the medial wall and the ventral paths bifurcating into a medial tract to form the inferior-medial wall and a superior tract that joins the lateral-occipital paths to form the superior wall of the ventricle. The properties of these fiber bundles match those of the hypothetical pathways described in the neurological literature on alexia.

Illustrations of the anatomical wax model collection in the "La Specola" Zoology Museum, Florence

Anatomical illustration has evolved through the centuries, first having artistic and educational purposes and later more strictly medical objectives. Between the eleventh and fifteenth centuries, the analytical model (representation of individual parts, organs and systems) gave way to the composite model (description of the human body as a whole). Between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, there was a reversal of tendency: initially the anatomist requested the help of artists, but later the artist asked anatomists to check the accuracy of his work. In this way, anatomical illustration reached a high level of precision. This period also saw the creation of the "La Specola" Zoology Museum's collection of anatomical wax models. Initiated in the eighteenth century, it also included a series of contemporary colour illustrations executed by various artists. Most of the illustrations concern human anatomy, while a small number deal with comparative anatomy. These illustrations, each accompanied by one or more explanatory sheets, were produced to help explain the corresponding wax models. The anatomical wax model collection has been well preserved through the centuries, maintaining its ancient splendour, and it is the object of continuing research and restoration interventions.

Patient privacy

As part of the Institute of Medical Illustrators' (IMI) scheme for continuing professional development (CPD), worksheets will be published at regular intervals in this Journal. These are designed to provide the members of IMI with a structured CPD activity that offers one way to earn credits. It is recognized that this worksheet requires some time spent obtaining and reading a number of publications. As a way of ensuring that the allocated time has been spent on the activities a number of self-assessment exercises (SAEs) have been included. Upon completion of this worksheet, you will be credited with 15 CPD points. The answers to the SAEs, along with any notes you make and other publications you find, should be kept in your CPD portfolio.

What's in a name? Biomedical photographic communications?

The Biomedical Photographic Communications Department at the Rochester Institute of Technology currently offers the only university-based degree programme in this field in the United States. With an enrollment of more than eighty students, the curriculum and its delivery are continually challenged by the 'new world' of imaging and the needs of the increasingly diversified industry where its graduates are finding employment. This paper reports on a recent self-study of the programme and examines the future directions for educating tomorrow's information imaging professionals. In particular, the paper evaluates the name of the department, which has become both an asset and liability in describing the programme to perspective students.

Role blurring--does it have implications for staff structure and development?

Within recent times medical illustration departments have been changed dramatically by computers and new working methods. For photographers and illustrators alike this has resulted in an overlap or 'blurring' of roles. This paper discusses typical core skills that cause this overlap and looks at the necessity for everyone within the profession to acquire them.

Using PowerPoint

PowerPoint is a very flexible program and, for the most part, there is no right and wrong way to do things. Views expressed here are those of the authors and the methods used have been tried and tested. There are three articles in the series. The first article looks at the design issues that need to be considered when preparing a PowerPoint presentation. The second article will concentrate on the 'mechanics' of the program, and the third article will address issues around delivering the presentation. It is hoped that this series will stimulate others to contribute ideas, tips and experiences that can be built into a useful resource. Any contributions should be addressed to the Editor.

Research for medical photographers: photographic measurement

Many first degrees in photography or photography-related topics lack a thorough grounding in the photographic sciences. This in turn leads to difficulties for medical photographers who graduate from these courses, when it comes to designing photographic protocols for research projects that will utilize photography as a means of data collection. The concept of the image as subject analogue is introduced and means of visualizing the subject are outlined. The considerations for undertaking photometric, photogrammetric and time-based measurements are given. The variables that need to be controlled in each modality are highlighted and a bibliography is appended so that readers can discover for themselves working examples of the techniques described.

The graphic strategy: the uses and functions of illustrations in Wundt's Grundzuge

Illustrations played an important role in the articulation of Wundt’s experimental program. Focusing on the woodcuts of apparatus and experimental designs in the six editions of his Grundzüge der physiologischen Psychologie (published between 1873 and 1911), we investigate the uses and functions of illustrations in the experimental culture of the physiological and psychological sciences. We will first present some statistics on the increasing number of illustrations Wundt included in each new edition of his handbook. Next we will show how Wundt managed to introduce the material and literary technologies of physiology into the ‘new psychology’. The distribution of Wundt’s material technology will be further demonstrated by highlighting the crucial role of technicians and instrument-makers. We will use Shapin and Schaffer’s notions of the ‘three technologies’ and ‘virtual witnessing’, combined with Latour’s concept of ‘immutable mobiles’, as analytical tools to explore the strategic aspects of Wundt’s illustrations.

Teaching biomedical photographic communications into the next century

The Biomedical Photographic Communications Department of the Rochester Institute of Technology, offers the only Bachelor's Degree in this field in the USA. With over 80 students, the curriculum and its delivery have been continually challenged by the 'New World' of imaging and the demands from the industry where the graduates will work. This paper will examine the programme's recent strategic decisions about curriculum and the future directions for educating tomorrow's professionals. The paper specifically assesses aspects of what is taught, how it is taught, and other relevant issues specific to equipment, networks, ethics, expansion, and extracurricular activities that have been put in place.

Piloting the Institute of Medical Illustrators and Glasgow Caledonian University BSc in medical illustration conversion course

Diplomates of the Institute of Medical Illustrators (IMI) have a route to converting their existing qualification to a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Medical Illustration. The experience of a pilot group who undertook this course is described, and advice for potential students is proposed. Additional comments based on the findings and recommendations of the Scrutiny Panel, who have a role in project approval and assessment, have also been included to assist students undertaking the conversion course. Students of this pilot group found the experience of undertaking the conversion course a rewarding exercise, although the effort required to successfully pass should not be underestimated.

The Institute of Medical Illustrators and Glasgow Caledonian University BSc in Medical Illustration assessment system

As a part-time work-based degree with students registered from all parts of the United Kingdom, and potentially from abroad, the Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Medical illustration does not have assessment in the conventional form as used by full-time courses undertaken in a university. It incorporates the expertise of medical illustrators actually working in the profession. The unique nature of the Institute of Medical Illustrators (IMI) and Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) BSc has required the development of an assessment system that satisfies the quality assurance demands of both the awarding and professional body. This paper details the system devised to meet the needs of the provision and to ensure consistent assessment.

The Institute of Medical Illustrators and Glasgow Caledonian University BSc degree in Medical Illustration

This paper relates the history leading to the validation of the Institute of Medical Illustrators (IMI) Diploma as a part-time, work-based, Bachelor of Science Degree by Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) on the 11th June 1996. It also outlines a description of the structure and content of this degree programme. The BSc is a joint venture between GCU, who are the awarding academic institution, and the IMI, who are the professional examining body. The Institute hopes that it will become a standard qualification for the profession.