Bradley L J, Meyer K E, Kerr M S, Maddux S D, Heck A J, Reeves R E, Handler E K
Department of Radiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA.
Department of Physician Assistant Studies and Executive Director of Division of Academic Innovation, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, USA.
Anat Sci Educ. 2025 Sep;18(9):972-984. doi: 10.1002/ase.70066. Epub 2025 Jun 13.
Human anatomy is a foundational course in graduate health professional programs. Given the increased enrollment in anatomy courses, along with the development of new technologies, institutions are increasingly compelled to provide alternative course formats, including online learning. Similarly, higher education is increasingly transitioning from traditional lecture-based learning to methods that allow students to actively participate in their own learning process (i.e., active learning). Active learning has been shown to have many benefits, including enhanced academic performance. Few studies have investigated the impact of active learning techniques on students' academic performance in online graduate anatomy courses. This study investigates differences in examination performance following participation in four active learning techniques (jigsaw, team-learning module, concept mapping, and question constructing). Specifically, this study investigated whether academic performance differed between learning objectives assigned to students during an active learning activity compared to non-assigned learning objectives for each unit. One hundred seventy (170) students completed the online anatomy course. Results showed that academic performance generally did not significantly differ between students who participated in active learning (regardless of technique) and a control group. However, students who participated in active learning were found to perform significantly better on examination questions specifically related to the objective they were required to teach compared to the objectives they learned from their peers. The results of this study suggest that the benefits of active learning on academic performance are largely attributable to preparatory processes required for peer teaching, as recipient peer-learners appear to gain minimal benefits from active learning.
人体解剖学是研究生健康专业课程中的一门基础课程。鉴于解剖学课程的入学人数增加，以及新技术的发展，各院校越来越被迫提供包括在线学习在内的替代课程形式。同样，高等教育正日益从传统的基于讲座的学习方式转向允许学生积极参与自身学习过程的方法（即主动学习）。主动学习已被证明有许多益处，包括提高学业成绩。很少有研究调查主动学习技巧对在线研究生解剖学课程中学生学业成绩的影响。本研究调查了参与四种主动学习技巧（拼图法、团队学习模块、概念图绘制和问题构建）后考试成绩的差异。具体而言，本研究调查了在主动学习活动中分配给学生的学习目标与每个单元未分配的学习目标相比，学生的学业成绩是否存在差异。一百七十（170）名学生完成了在线解剖学课程。结果表明，参与主动学习（无论采用何种技巧）的学生与对照组学生的学业成绩总体上没有显著差异。然而，与从同伴那里学到的目标相比，参与主动学习的学生在与他们被要求教授的目标具体相关的考试问题上表现明显更好。本研究结果表明，主动学习对学业成绩的益处很大程度上归因于同伴教学所需的准备过程，因为作为接受者的同伴学习者似乎从主动学习中获得的益处微乎其微。
