Comparing the outcomes of the technology-enhanced learning of sectional anatomy with and without preceding demonstrations: A study about the worked-example effect in anatomy education.

The examination of anatomical cross-sections can facilitate the understanding of spatial and clinical anatomy. Visualization technologies, with dynamic and interactive displays, can be used to learn sectional anatomy in a mostly self-directed manner. Nevertheless, this study hypothesized that the technology-enhanced learning of sectional anatomy is improved when initiated with explicit anatomical demonstrations-worked examples, as defined in Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) and Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (CTML). Two learning experiments were conducted with Year 1 (N = 110) and Year 2 (N = 59) undergraduate medical students who had to learn the sectional anatomy of the chest and abdomen, respectively. In both experiments, participants were first stratified according to gender and then randomly allocated into Groups A or B. Group A (control) used the website IMAIOS.com in a self-directed manner to learn sectional anatomy. Group B (worked example) watched a demonstration of the sectional anatomy to be learned before using the website. Both groups had 35 min to complete the activity. In both experiments, several measurements (knowledge, mental effort, instructional efficiency, and types of cognitive load) showed that learning was more effective and efficient in Group B than in Group A. No intergroup differences were found in student motivation or in perceptions of IMAIOS.com usability. As predicted in CLT and CTML, worked examples improved the technology-enhanced learning of sectional anatomy. While advanced students may benefit from more self-directed learning approaches, novice learners may require preceding demonstrations to guide their attention and help organize their thinking process.