Program Overview

Exploring 3D Anatomy Plus

Course Details

The Exploring 3D Anatomy Plus course is designed to guide participants through a series of simple, practical, and effective learning exercises using everyday household objects, as well as the occasional use of their own anatomy. Iain and Leonard’s video demonstrations will guide participants through the practical exercises. Participants will be able to reflect upon and even share their experiences with others throughout the course if they wish.

Course Exercises

• Haptic Surface Painting Exercise: This exercise involves the palpation of the living anatomy of the upper limb and the immediate marking of the skin with food colouring, in order to understand it in three dimensions. After this exercise, participants will be able to apply this technique to any part of the living anatomy.
• ORDER Exercise: This exercise involves a cyclical step-by-step learning process called Observe-Reflect-Draw-Edit-Repeat. This process supports observation of and reflection about three-dimensional anatomical structures and underpins all of the exercises found in the Exploring 3D Anatomy MOOC.
• Surgical Instrument Exercise: This exercise aims to improve participants' understanding of where their surgical instrument is located within the three-dimensional space of the body. The exercise is demonstrated for application with a laparoscopic instrument, but participants can extend this technique to any instrument.

Benefits to Clinical Practice

There are strong links between critical observation, spatial abilities, and anatomy learning within the educational literature. To examine, diagnose, and treat patients, it is essential for clinicians and healthcare professionals to gain a comprehensive understanding of the structural and functional anatomy of the human body. Our bodies exist in three dimensions, and to effectively study human anatomy, it is therefore essential to develop an understanding of the three-dimensional spatial arrangement of the body’s anatomical regions, systems, and structures.

Target Audience

This course is primarily aimed at anyone who is studying anatomy. Participants will also benefit from this course if they are healthcare professionals, clinicians, surgeons, medical educators, or if they work in medical imaging. While this course is primarily for those working in medical contexts, no previous knowledge or experience is required, and these exercises are transferable to any context where visualization and 3D spatial awareness are valuable skills.

Course Agenda

The course is a month-long program with video exercises for participants to follow in their own time. Asynchronous discussion with teaching staff will occur at various touchpoints throughout the course to discuss and compare experiences.