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On Monday, 5 November 2018, academics from the ANU Medical School participated in the inaugural TELFest, a showcase of the University's best practice and innovation in education, with a highlight on how technology can contribute to positive outcomes for teaching and learning. TELFest is a new event offered by ANU Online, the central team responsible for technology-enhanced learning (TEL) at ANU. 

Alex Webb gave the keynote address - An Anatomist’s Accidental Adventure: From Cadavers To Computers. She spoke about the challenges and fear of integrating TEL into educational practice and explored the BIG question: ‘to use, or not to use technology’ in your educational environment. She examinde how the science of learning can provide insights into the effective application of TEL and reflected on how listening to the voice of your students can guide you away from potential pitfalls.

Interactive teaching tools were on display in the foyer with Dr Corinne Carle, a lecturer at the ANU Medical and Jess Herrington, from JCSMR demonstrated their Augmented Reality in Medical Science Teaching app to onlookers. Whilst Krisztina Valter, Hannah Lewis and Francisco Sanchez described the intricacies of Virtual Dissection in Medical Education. 

Presentations and workshops from the ANU Medical School included:

How can we show you, if you can't see it? Trialling the Use of Virtual Dissection in Medical Education

Presented by Krisztina Valter, Alex Webb, Lillian Smyth & Joseph O'Rourke, College of Health and Medicine

Teaching internal structures obscured from direct view is one of the major challenges of anatomy education. Traditional anatomy resources, such as plastic models and atlases, are limited in their ability to communicate three-dimensional (3D) structures. New computer modelling technology presents a possible, but as yet underexplored solution. Thus, the utility of a high-fidelity interactive 3D micro-computed tomography (CT) model with virtual dissection capabilities to teach complex internal structures of the human body to medical students is unclear. The present study trialled one such model that depicts the human skull to teach the anatomy of the paranasal sinuses in the preclinical phase of a graduate-entry medical program. Results indicated that, under ideal conditions, the 3D model is equal to traditional laboratory resources when used as a learning tool. However, these findings have also identified both human (student) and technical (curriculum) factors that may limit the value of the 3D model for students if not properly implemented. This paper discusses the importance of preparatory training for students in order to successfully integrate such models into medical anatomical curricula.

Watch and Learn: Using Videos to Enhance Medical Student Development of Clinical Skills

Presented by Janelle Hamilton, Michelle Barrett, Alex Webb, Kat Esteves, Lillian Smyth & Vojislav Zelkovic, College of Health and Medicine 

The Problem Physical examination is an essential clinical skill that is a central component of a doctor’s daily activities and thus an integral component of medical training. One of the challenges in medical education is to standardise the process of teaching physical examination techniques to ensure that tutors deliver a consistent approach aligned with the competencies expected of students in assessments. In 2015, an evaluation of Year 2 Doctor of Medicine and Surgery students, 48% agreed that physical examination skills were taught at an appropriate level, 59% reported that the examination process was explicitly covered and 56% understood how content translated to the hands-on tutorial sessions where students had an opportunity to practice the examination skills with a tutor. The aim of this project was to design an educational intervention to improve the standardisation of the physical examination process, for both students and tutors, to enhance delivery, ensure explicit alignment and support student skill development. The Educational Intervention Videos of the physical examination process were created and evaluated in 2017. The video content was explicitly aligned with the written physical examination guide provided to tutors and students as well as the relevant teaching sessions and assessments. The videos were delivered to students, embedded in an online lesson platform (kuraCloud) and integrated with activities that tested knowledge and application of the physical examination process with immediate feedback. The Result In the 2017 evaluation, after implementation of the videos, 100% of students agreed that the physical examination skills were taught at an appropriate level, 90% reported that the examination process was explicitly covered and 98% understood how the content translated to the tutorial sessions. All students (100%) that completed the evaluation agreed that the videos were a valuable learning tool and 98% agreed the videos aided their skill development.

Designing for Interactive Learning: A Case at the Lab

Presented by Alexandra Webb, Katherine Esteves & Brian Billups, College of Health and Medicine

Critical thinking skills are essential for the 21^st Century graduate to navigate through the “wicked problems” they will encounter during their careers. Technology enhanced learning (TEL) creates interactive learning opportunities for students to identify and solve complex problems, think critically about information, work effectively in teams and communicate clearly about their thinking in supported classroom environments. At the ANU Medical School and JCSMR we have been transforming our practical sessions to create more interactive learning opportunities supported by educational technology. The hands-on workshop focussed on educational design and TEL enablers to create interactive learning opportunities to enhance student problem solving and critical thinking.