Plastinate Classroom: Mastering Anatomy through Demo Videos

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented disruption in the education sector worldwide. The sudden suspension of on-campus activities, including classes, laboratory sessions, and practical learning, has significantly affected the learning opportunities of students across the globe. Among the worst affected students are those studying medical, biomedical, science, nursing, and post-graduate training programs, who require practical exposure to develop their skills and knowledge. Anatomy education, in particular, has faced significant challenges due to the pandemic. Traditional cadaveric and plastinated anatomy learning, which is a critical component of medical education, has become almost impossible to provide online. To address this issue, I have created an innovative resource for their online learning. This resource consists of real-body-labelled video demonstrations that provide students with a comprehensive overview of the human body system. The videos are annotated including clinical information (ex. Musculoskeletal, Peritoneum etc..) to help students identify human body structures correctly and apply their anatomical knowledge to solve clinical problems. These mini-videos of anatomy, have emerged as a valuable online resource for medical students throughout the year. They have received a large number of views, indicating a high level of student engagement and interest. As per Moodle analytics, the majority of videos have a completion rate of 80-100% views. The effectiveness was assessed with valuable student feedback (quantitative/qualitative) derived by comparing pre- and post-session student engagement data, reflections, and student evaluation records. Overall, this innovative resource has helped overcome the challenges posed by the pandemic and also useful for regular learning and provided medical students with an effective tool to reinforce their anatomy knowledge. It has also demonstrated the potential of technology to bridge the gap between traditional and online learning and enhance students' educational outcomes in times of crisis.