Anatomical Sciences Education最新文献

Learning embryology is often challenging for students as it requires conceptualizing morphological changes to embryologic structures across time. To further complicate the process, while some structures transition to permanent structures, others disappear or degenerate. Embryology is often taught didactically through lectures which limits student engagement. In this discursive article, we describe how we have implemented student-developed small group sessions where students often create game-based activities to engage their peers in embryologic development in a graduate embryology course. Students sign up to lead a small group session over a particular organ system, develop learning objectives, create an activity, and develop a series of questions for students to work through during the activity. Students can cover any aspect of development of their selected organ system but often choose a congenital abnormality and design their activity around the embryologic process through which the defect occurs. The student can choose any activity, but several session types are recommended including case-based learning sessions, crafting, and games. To date, students have developed a range of activities to demonstrate complex embryological processes and engage their peers in the session. We will describe several game-based activities including: Minute-to-Win-It, Embryology card games, Family Feud, and Jeopardy. Student perceptions of these sessions in end of course evaluations are overall positive and describe how the small group sessions give them an opportunity to apply and integrate embryology content in a fun and low-stakes environment. This article will demonstrate the value of student-developed game-based sessions in engaging their peers in embryology.

Reflexive thematic analysis (reflexive TA) originated within psychology and the social sciences and has become an increasingly popular qualitative analytic method across a range of disciplines. In this article, we offer a brief methodological guide for researchers hoping to use the method, suitable for beginners through to those experienced in qualitative research. Reflexive TA can be used to analyze data generated via a range of methods. Reflexive TA is highly flexible, and we outline the choices that researchers need to address when conducting their research. These choices relate to the theoretical approach (realist through to relativist/experiential to critical), their orientation to analyzing the data (inductive to deductive), and the depth in which they analyze their dataset (semantic to latent). We offer an accessible but comprehensive discussion of the six phases of reflexive thematic analysis and how best to produce a rigorous analysis. Starting with familiarization of the dataset as a foundation for analysis, data are then coded, before using these codes to generate initial themes. These early themes are then reviewed and developed, before the researcher moves to defining and naming them. The final phase of analysis is the writing up of the research, at which point final changes may still be made to the results. Written from the basis of our experience of using, teaching, and training reflexive thematic analysis within psychology and the social sciences, we see it as useful for those working across a range of disciplines.

Novice faculty mentors often struggle with the transition from mentee to mentor. Although they may face similar challenges, each mentor's experience and journey of professional identity formation is unique, influenced by their background, experiences, relationships, and context. This autoethnographic study describes my personal experiences as a first-year faculty mentor in medical education, including the challenges I encountered, lessons I learned, and recommendations I have for novice faculty mentors in similar situations. Between January and August 2024, I recorded a series of reflective audio diaries after mentor-mentee project meetings. Each audio diary followed a semi-structured format and included my description of events, critical reflections, and mentoring plans. I then performed reflexive thematic analysis on the audio diaries using both deductive codes based on Transformative Learning Theory and inductive codes derived from the collected data. Through this analysis, I generated the overarching theme of The Balancing Act, in which faculty mentors must constantly balance an ever-shifting collection of competing factors in their mentoring relationships (e.g., time, effort, contributions, and expectations). This theme also included five sub-themes: (i) Balancing Project Contributions, (ii) Balancing Time and Obligations, (iii) Balancing Oversight and Autonomy, (iv) Shifting the Balance, and (v) Communicating the Balance. Although I found The Balancing Act challenging to achieve in my first year, clear and consistent communication greatly reduced the difficulty. With continued practice and reflection, I believe my skills in navigating The Balancing Act will improve further, allowing me to support mentees more effectively.

The use of qualitative methods is growing in anatomical sciences education. While common qualitative methods such as interviews and focus groups can provide rich insights into participant experiences, there is a wide variety of other qualitative methods that are ideal for different research topics. Research topics that may be emotive or sensitive can be challenging for participants to discuss when face-to-face with a researcher, and thus, methods such as qualitative research diaries can be ideal in circumstances where focus groups and interviews may limit participant engagement and depth of data collection. As diaries are added to over time, they can also be used to understand change and learning. Accordingly, studies using diary methods have substantive potential for furthering anatomical sciences education research. To aid researchers interested in using diary methods, this discursive article provides a practical beginner's guide to qualitative diary studies. First, we review the background and benefits of qualitative diary studies with relevance to health professions and anatomical sciences education. This includes a description of different types of diaries, such as handwritten, typed, audio, and audio-visual diaries. We also discuss key quality indicators to ensure that diary studies are conducted with rigor and ultimately contribute important research findings to advance anatomical sciences education. Drawing on case examples from our own prior health professions education research, we provide practical guidance on how to design and undertake diary studies, including ethical considerations, participant support, and analytical considerations, as well as highlighting challenges that researchers may encounter.

Qualitative longitudinal research (QLR) focuses on changes in perceptions, interpretations, or practices through time. Despite longstanding traditions in social science, QLR has only recently appeared in anatomical sciences education (ASE). While some existing methodology papers guide researchers, they take a narrow view of QLR and lack specificity for ASE. This discursive article aims to (1) describe what QLR is and its benefits, its philosophies, methodologies and methods, considerations, and quality indicators, and (2) critically discuss examples of QLR in ASE. Underpinned by relativist ontology and subjectivist epistemology, time can be understood as fluid/subjective or fixed/objective. QLR is a flexible, creative, and exploratory methodology, often associated with other methodologies. Sampling is typically purposive, with repeated and recursive data collection methods, and complex three-strand analyses (themes, cases, and time), enabling cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. QLR involves ethical, relationship, analytical, dissemination, and funding considerations. Key quality indicators relate to qualitative research as well as temporal aspects. Most of the nine ASE papers reviewed explored changes in anatomy learners, but few labeled their methodology as QLR. Just under half described their sampling as purposive, most employed pre-planned and standardized repeated interviews, analyzed their data cross-sectionally, and utilized qualitative data analysis software. Most cited the confirmability and transferability of their studies, but few cited credibility and dependability elements. Study timeframes and tempos were generally clear, but details of longitudinal retention/attrition were often lacking, and longitudinal data analysis was not often conducted. We therefore provide recommendations for the conduct of QLR in ASE.

While it is broadly accepted that body donation for anatomical education should rely on informed consent, consent processes vary substantially. Best practice guidelines for body donation are typically published by anatomical societies and may not reflect details valued by prospective donors or the educators and students who utilize donor bodies for teaching and learning. As an initial step to designing a consent process for a proposed body donor program at Monash University in Australia, this study brought together prospective body donors, students, and educators to explore their perspectives on donor consent. This study utilized co-design methodology, a form of participatory action research that values and includes diverse stakeholders to understand phenomena and inform change. The 22 study participants comprised 7 prospective donors who expressed interest in a future body donor program at Monash University, 9 students, 3 educators, and 3 participants who identified as educators and prospective body donors. Data were collected through 4 mixed stakeholder focus groups and were analyzed using thematic analysis. Four themes were developed: (1) Ethical and legal consent foundations, (2) Informed consent, (3) Individualized consent, and (4) Future-focused consent. While some findings support existing consent guidelines (e.g. informed consent requiring information adequacy), other findings highlight how consent processes could be expanded to incorporate community values. For instance, consent processes could include discussions between students and prospective donors and ensure that communication with prospective donors continues over time. Critically, consent processes should recognize that "everybody's different" and aim for inclusivity of diverse donor preferences.