Role of a Digital Human Anatomy Museum in Teaching- Learning during the COVID-19 Era

ABSTRACT

Introduction: The museum of human Anatomy plays a prominent role in exploring the structural organization of the human body. However, in the current pandemic era, it has been observed that the entry to Anatomy museum was restricted. The students rarely visit the museum and prefer to browse the internet for learning videos and explanations of the dissected human specimens. Aim: The present project was undertaken to develop the Anatomy museum as an innovative online educational tool through the digitalization of human body specimens. Materials and Methods: High-resolution pictures of 100 core specimens were captured, categorized according to the organ systems, and stored in a database along with the relevant explanation and voiceovers. A database of the digitalized anatomy exhibits and the online management platform was then built as a website. The website was made accessible to the student community and the public. Results: The efforts of digitalizing the human specimens of the Anatomy Museum were well appreciated and encouraged by the students and the public alike. The reflections recorded from the students were subjected to thematic analysis and theme were identified. Conclusion: The study concludes by stating that the digitalized human Anatomy museum is an excellent educational tool for teaching and learning Anatomy. The students from various streams of Health and Allied Sciences will be immensely benefitted from the digitalized Anatomy Museum, especially in these pandemic times.