Learning Anatomy & Physiology Virtually: Student Performance during COVID-19

ABSTRACT

Delivering Anatomy & Physiology (A&P) labs online became necessary in the spring of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For four semesters (Summer 2020 through Summer 2021), our A&P1 and A&P2 labs were instructed in a virtual format. Each lab session included a one-hour synchronous session led by teaching assistants followed by at-home lab activities performed independently by students. Formative lab practice assignments were provided, and summative lab assessments were conducted weekly. Student performance in these online A&P1 labs was similar to performance during in-person labs, although more students failed or withdrew from the combined A&P1 lecture and lab course in the online environment compared to in-person. A&P2 performance data were very similar online versus in-person for both the A&P2 lab and the combined A&P2 lecture and lab course. Overall, our experience supports the conclusion that course modality is not the central factor in determining student success.