Date Presented 04/12/21
The purpose of this study was to explore students’ prior anatomy coursework, their perceived preparedness in anatomy, and their performance in a mandatory human movement course in an OT program. The secondary purpose was to determine student interest in a potential online anatomy review course. More than half the participants felt that they were underprepared for anatomy-related content, indicating that an additional stand-alone anatomy course may be beneficial to students in OT programs.
Primary Author and Speaker: Ashleigh Giles
Additional Authors and Speakers: Cristin Holland, Susan Agostine
Contributing Authors: Stephanie Bristol, John Sideris, Emily Schulze, Yun-Ju Chen, Elizabeth Choi, Aaron Dallman, Linda Watson, Elizabeth Crais, Grace Baranek, and Amanda M. Wiles
PURPOSE: The primary purpose of this study was to explore students’ previous anatomy undergraduate coursework, their perceived preparedness of anatomical knowledge, and their performance in a mandatory human movement course within our university occupational therapy graduate programs. The secondary purpose was to determine student interest in a potential standalone online anatomy review course offered at the start of the OT program matriculation.
BACKGROUND: Knowledge of human anatomy is foundational to clinical practice in occupational therapy (OT). Occupations cannot be addressed without first understanding clients’ underlying anatomical dysfunction and how it affects occupational performance. Current OT standards for anatomical knowledge are minimal and OT programs are not required to have a standalone anatomy course. Time since completion of anatomy prerequisite courses, the quantity, and the rigor of such courses may vary drastically among students. This may leave students at a disadvantage when enrolled in an OT program and afterwards in clinical practice.
DESIGN AND METHOD: A cross sectional survey research design was utilized for data collection. The 14-item survey was developed to gather descriptive data regarding prior anatomy background, degree, perceived anatomy preparedness, and academic performance in an OT human movement course. Questions included fill in the blank, multiple choice, and Likert scale type. The survey was developed by the authors and piloted among OT students for clarity. Inclusion criteria included current and prior Gannon University (GU) Master’s and Doctoral OT students who had passed the analysis of human movement course offered at the university. A convenience sample of 420 alumni and current OT students were emailed a link to the survey. Participation in the survey was voluntary and completion of the survey was consent to participate. Approval for the study was received from the institutional review board of the university. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlations were used to analyze the data.
RESULTS: Eighty-seven participants completed the survey (20.9%). Data analysis revealed weak negative correlations between undergraduate degree and time since their last anatomy course (r = -0.226; p = 0.021), and self-perceived preparedness for anatomy related graduate course content (r = -0.201; p = 0.035). Undergraduate degree and the number of semesters of anatomy were also negatively correlated (r = -0.369; p = 0.000). A statistically significant weak positive correlation was found between perceived preparedness and perceived benefit of an online review course (r = 0.363; p = 0.000). Additionally, the number of completed semesters of anatomy and perceived preparedness were positively correlated (r = 0.214; p = 0.023). No correlations were found between academic performance and remaining variables. Twenty three percent of students reported feeling prepared for the anatomy related content of the course, 23% felt very prepared or extremely prepared, and 53% reported feeling less than prepared or somewhat prepared. Ninety two percent of respondents indicated they would have benefited from and would have participated in an online anatomy review course if offered.
CONCLUSION AND IMPACT STATEMENT: Human anatomy is foundational for OT clinical practice in many settings. Prerequisite experiences may under prepare students for graduate level anatomy and application. Occupational therapy programs may consider providing a standalone anatomy course which may help to better prepare students for academic rigor and clinical practice.
References
Barillas, R. B. (2019). The effect of 3D human anatomy software on online students’ academic performance. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 3(2), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.26681/jote.2019.030202
Schofield, K. A. (2017). Anatomy education in occupational therapy curricula: Perspectives of practitioners in the United States. Anatomical Sciences Education, 11(3), 243-253. https://doi.org/10.1002/ase.1723
Yammine, K., & Violato, C. (2014). A meta-analysis of the educational effectiveness of three-dimensional visualization technologies in teaching anatomy. Anatomical Sciences Education, 8(6), 525-538. https://doi.org/10.1002/ase.1510
