The study of human anatomy involves naming thousands of structures, and structural features while conceptually developing a three-dimensional arrangement to understand the physical relationships among them. Physiology is the integration of this structural knowledge with how components of the body function in isolation, in systems, and in unison. As such, the recollection and recital of structural names is only the beginning of orchestrating a rich understanding of how these structures harmoniously work together. The difficulty students have with explicit memory in these subjects is often related to the sheer volume of structures to remember combined with the complexity of learning anatomical language. To aid students in learning these complex structures, kinesthetic techniques, such as dance and play to music, help them to effectively acquire the fundamental knowledge of the structures and utilize it for higher order processing (Mobley & Fisher, 2014). This strategy has been effective for learning the cranial nerves (vital for our ability to see, smell, taste, smile, hear, etc.) and the brachial plexus (vital to our ability to use our upper limbs) – structures that students find particularly troublesome (Meyer & Land, 2005). In this 45 minute interactive session, participants will be encouraged to learn about anatomy through the movement and engagement exercises students used to acquire fundamental knowledge of the cranial nerves. Participants will also have the opportunity to make their own model of the brachial plexus and consider the use of these types of strategies in their own practice.
References:
Meyer, J. H. F., & Land, R. (2005). Threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge (2): Epistemological considerations and a conceptual framework for teaching and learning. Higher Education, 49 (3), 373 – 388. doi:10.1007/s10734-004-6779-5.
Mobley, K., & Fisher, S. (2014). Ditching the Desks: Kinesthetic Learning in College Classrooms. The Social Studies, 105, 301 – 309. doi:10.1080/00377996.2014.951471.
