In the past few years, Colorado State University's veterinary program instituted the use of interactive multimedia to teach anatomy. This DVD program, Virtual Canine Anatomy, affects not only the classroom but also extends beyond the campus to the student’s home. The DVD program provides an interactive source of information that extends the presence of the “instructor” beyond scheduled class times. The program allows the luxury of self-paced, individualized learning. It also provides a focal point around which the instructor and student can exchange ideas and make interpretations of course content. Research suggests this program is an effective tool to enhance the study of anatomy (Linton, Schoenfeld-Tacher, Whalen, 2005). Veterinary students around the world are now reviewing this program. A Macintosh version is also available for testing.
Virtual Canine Anatomy directs students in the step-by-step process of dissection. Each dissection is composed of a series of images that guide students through later and deeper layers. Photographs, descriptions, and animations show students how to proceed throughout the dissection. The detailed dissection descriptions not only assist students during lab, but also allow them to study outside of lab when instructors and cadavers are not available.
| The integrated navigational format using hot text links allows students to quickly jump to related views, structures, and radiolographs. |
| A fully-functional search feature takes students quickly to any structure in the program. Students can chose from all pages containing the requested structure and be taken to the chosen page with the structure highlighted. |
