ERIC Number: EJ1385431
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023-Aug
Pages: 26
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0020-4277
EISSN: EISSN-1573-1952
Available Date: N/A
Teaching Advanced Surgical Anatomy with Visual Representations: Comparing Perceptual Fluency and Sense Making
Stahl, Christopher C.; Rau, Martina A.; Greenberg, Jacob A.
Instructional Science: An International Journal of the Learning Sciences, v51 n4 p661-686 Aug 2023
Combinations of perceptual fluency and sense-making competencies contribute synergistically to learning gains in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. However, instructional principles depend on the target of instruction, and in many fields, the targets of instruction are quite different from undergraduate STEM education. Professional learning often involves the application of previously acquired conceptual knowledge in a perceptually complex reality. This paper focuses on the field of surgery, specifically the recognition of surgical anatomy, in which the target of instruction is perceptual ability rather than conceptual knowledge. We conducted two experiments in which 42 and 44 surgical trainees participated in perceptual-fluency and sense-making interventions, followed by tests of their ability to recognize surgical anatomy in real operative images. The results showed that perceptual-fluency interventions contributed to gains in perceptual knowledge relating to surgical anatomy, whereas sense-making interventions did not. We discuss our findings in terms of alignment between instructional design and instructional goals, and the application of advances in learning sciences to adult learning of complex skills.
Descriptors: Surgery, Anatomy, Visual Aids, Visual Perception, Undergraduate Students, STEM Education, Instructional Design, Medical Education
Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link-springer-com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Cancer Institute (NCI) (DHHS/NIH)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: T32CA090217
Author Affiliations: N/A