Teaching and learning anatomy online in South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Due to the interactive nature of classic anatomy teaching and learning, great consideration and planning were necessary to deliver an effective online anatomy course. This paper describes the experiences of teaching and learning anatomy online in South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic. An asynchronous approach was successful in delivering the course content; however, students expressed the desire to resume in-person, interactive cadaveric dissections. Anatomy course content was delivered using a variety of educational resources accounting for all learning styles and attempting to mimic a pre-pandemic setting. Although postgraduate student research timelines were disrupted, contact between research teams was maintained, allowing for projects to run through to completion. The challenges faced throughout the pandemic have shown that anatomical science is a constantly evolving discipline that requires a variety of resources.