Human Anatomy Lab using 3D Technology

BIOL 361 at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) is taken by Biology majors and other students preparing for health professions programs and has an annual enrollment of 144-200 students. Most students who enroll in this course are interested in a health professional career; they must master gross anatomy, anatomical structures and landmarks, and be able to think critically to answer clinical application questions. The laboratory component of the course is designed to integrate hands-on exploration of anatomical landmarks and dissection; however, students struggle to link the material learned in lab (based on cat dissections) to their own bodies. The restructure of the laboratory component of BIOL 361 is focused on incorporating two human cadavers to promote student understanding of the location and structure of human anatomical features and on developing a more interactive approach in which students use virtual 3D materials from home to help them study and reduce dependence on text-only learning. Students quiz themselves prior to the class meeting, allowing better use of in-class time for learning anatomical principles, hopefully leading to improved student success. In the lecture component of BIOL 361, case studies and real world experience (guest speakers) were added to develop students’ ability to apply the material, to think critically, and to make links between lecture and laboratory components.