The Anatomage Table is utilized in the Healthcare Analysis course at Lakewood High School, located in Long Beach, CA. Science Teacher, Aaron Volkoff, uses the Table to increase student engagement in his classroom through cadaver lab activities. The Anatomage Table is implemented in the classroom through the use of the case library and the digital cadavers. The cadavers provide a true representation of a real body and offer a valuable comparison between normal anatomy and pathologies exhibited by a patient in a medical case.
Integrating Technology with Educational Strategy
Mr. Volkoff’s successful integration of the Anatomage Table has been through using strategic teaching methods like the 5-E Learning Cycle. The 5-E’s of effective learning strategy are: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. In the engagement phase, students learn anatomy through textbooks and Table imagery. In the explore phase, students interact with the Table, uncovering muscle and bone tissue, and use of the digital scalpel for virtual dissection. The explain phase takes place when students participate in class discussions on varying medical cases. Students lead presentations on curriculum taught from earlier lab assignments in the elaborate phase. In the final evaluation phase, the Anatomage Table’s quiz mode is utilized to create personalized tests that monitor and track student knowledge of human anatomy.
Analyzing Real-World Examples for Skills-Based Applications
Students at Lakewood High school use the Anatomage case library to participate in the SOAP method of learning. The SOAP method is an acronym for the subjective and objective assessment of a patient. During student-led labs, Mr. Volkoff assigns a case from the Anatomage Case Library with a radiology report available to help explain the clinical condition of the patient. The students pull out any subjective and objective information they find in the case report, translate it into simpler terms, and add it to their SOAP note worksheet. When the students make observations on the Anatomage Table through the Case Library and add it to their notes, it supports the curriculum they’ve read in their textbooks, ultimately deepening their knowledge of medical conditions and diseases.
Promoting Independent Thinking for Career Development
Utilizing the Case Library, students are challenged to answer two very important questions: “What is wrong with the patient?” and “How would you treat it?” These responses must be backed by data with an explanation for their diagnosis. In this exercise, students generate their own medical reports and create plans for treatment. As a result, students are able to develop their problem solving skills and advance their knowledge of medical terminology. With the implementation of the Anatomage Table’s cadavers and case library scans, student engagement and interest in healthcare-related careers has significantly increased at Lakewood High School.
Reference
Volkoff, Aaron. (August, 2019), Phone Interview