Department of Foundational Medical Studies, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Rochester, Michigan, USA.
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
Anat Sci Educ. 2022 Mar;15(2):233-248. doi: 10.1002/ase.2169. Epub 2022 Feb 10.
Online teachers are an under-researched population, but their perspectives are crucial to the successful implementation of online education. A fully online section of an established face-to-face (F2F) two-semester undergraduate anatomy course with a prosection laboratory commenced in 2012 at The University of Western Ontario, Canada. Professors' lectures for F2F students were broadcast in live and archived format to online students using Blackboard Collaborate (BBC) video conferencing software. Teaching assistants (TAs) delivered online laboratories using BBC and three-dimensional (3D) anatomical computer models. This study explored the common experiences and issues faced by the course teachers from 2012 to 2014. Transcripts from open-ended, individual interviews with professors (n = 4) and TAs (n = 5) were coded and analyzed thematically. The teachers' concern for their inability to see the students during sessions to assess class engagement and their teaching effectiveness, and to develop social relationships, was the main finding. However, video conferencing software and email were sufficient communication methods for the students' questions and the teachers' answers. The TAs noted usability challenges and anatomical inaccuracies in the 3D models compared to cadavers. Due to limitations of BBC's screen sharing function, live manipulation for the 3D computer models was not possible; however, the TAs found pedagogical value in using screen captures of the models for drawing activities with the students. Overall, preparation time for teaching online was longer than for F2F. The study's findings provide science educators with issues to consider when preparing for online teaching and recommendations to optimize the teaching experience.
在线教师是一个研究不足的群体，但他们的观点对于成功实施在线教育至关重要。2012 年，加拿大西安大略大学开始在一个已有的面对面（F2F）两学期本科解剖学课程中开设完全在线的课程，并设有尸体解剖实验室。教授为 F2F 学生录制的讲座以直播和存档的形式通过 Blackboard Collaborate（BBC）视频会议软件向在线学生播放。助教使用 BBC 和三维（3D）解剖计算机模型提供在线实验室。本研究探讨了 2012 年至 2014 年期间该课程教师的共同经验和面临的问题。对教授（n=4）和助教（n=5）进行的开放式、个人访谈的文字记录进行了编码和主题分析。教师们主要关注的是他们在会议期间无法看到学生，无法评估课堂参与度和教学效果，也无法建立社会关系。然而，视频会议软件和电子邮件足以满足学生的问题和教师的回答。助教指出，与尸体相比，3D 模型存在可用性挑战和解剖学上的不准确。由于 BBC 的屏幕共享功能有限，无法对 3D 计算机模型进行实时操作；然而，助教发现，对于学生的绘图活动，使用模型的屏幕截图具有教学价值。总体而言，在线教学的准备时间比面对面教学要长。本研究的结果为科学教育工作者提供了在准备在线教学时需要考虑的问题，并提出了优化教学体验的建议。
