Kinetic Pelvic Limb Model to Support Students' Understanding of Spatial Visualization in Gross Anatomy

Visual aids currently being used for anatomy education are often only designed to help identify structures and, in some cases, to facilitate understanding of the spatial relationships amongst structures. However, a knowledge of the basic functions of structures is crucial to understanding anatomy and is vastly neglected in the design of instructional tools. One major concept which current tools lack the ability to demonstrate is basic biomechanics. A possible solution to address this oversight is the creation of a kinetic, interactive model that demonstrates movement. Creation of this type of model should incorporate aspects of many different disciplines and should facilitate learning by providing engaging and intuitive interaction. To test this hypothesis, a physically based interactive kinetic simulation model of the canine pelvic limb was constructed. From the user studies, positive student feedback as well as improved quiz scores show that the interactive simulation model had a positive effect on student comprehension in anatomy education.