Leveraging technology for animal anatomy practicals

Abstract

To deliver a comprehensive learning experience while shifting to online teaching due to COVID-19, educators at The University of Queensland (Australia) adopted Lt, a cloud-based platform, to overcome the challenges of delivering animal anatomy practicals. A two-phased study was conducted to evaluate the use of Lt for both online and on-campus students and its impact on student satisfaction and performance. Phase 1 investigated students’ satisfaction with the practical experience, with online students expressing greater satisfaction across all constructs related to the practical: design, Lt, and feedback. Phase 2 investigated end-of-course evaluations, with all evaluated items increasing from 2019 to 2020 and 2021, along with student performance showing no difference between the online and on-campus students for practical assessment items and final examinations. The findings give confidence for technology adoption to enhance the learning experience for online students and provides an exemplar for similar adoption for practical delivery across other science disciplines.