Abstract
Purpose statement. The purpose of this research was to determine if there was a significant difference in learning anatomical features for college anatomy students exposed to cadaver-based instruction. An additional purpose was to determine if significant differences in learning existed between cadaver-based instruction and computer-based instruction relative to the moderator variables of short-term memory, long-term memory, and prior academic achievement. Methodology. The experimental design was quasi-experimental using a pretest, posttest, and second posttest. The study population was four sections of college Anatomy and Physiology students. Subjects were exposed to two study sessions of three hours. One group studied muscles from a cadaver and another group studied muscles from a CD-ROM program. Following treatment, subjects were given a posttest and mean scores were compared to determine the relative effectiveness of the method of instruction, method of evaluation (diagram versus computer simulation or cadaver test), and prior science experience using a three-way multiple analysis of variance. Three weeks later, identical randomized second posttests were administered. Findings. There was no significant difference in mean scores for subjects instructed using a cadaver versus those instructed using the computer. There was a significant difference in mean scores for subjects for test type. Subjects evaluated from a test identical to their method of instruction scored significantly higher. There was no significant difference in mean scores for subjects with high or low science experience. In addition, there was no significant difference in the mean scores for any of the variables combined, i.e., prior experience, method of instruction, and prior experience. Conclusions and recommendations. New computer programs are as effective as cadavers in learning anatomy. Educators will need to keep up with technological innovations and constantly evaluate their effectiveness by experimental research.