Forced Disruption of Anatomy Education in Australia and New Zealand: An Acute Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic

Nalini Pather; Phil Blyth; Jamie A Chapman; Manisha R Dayal; Natasha A M S Flack; Quentin A Fogg; Rodney A Green; Anneliese K Hulme; Ian P Johnson; Amanda J Meyer; John W Morley; Peter J Shortland; Goran Štrkalj; Mirjana Štrkalj; Krisztina Valter; Alexandra L Webb; Stephanie J Woodley; Michelle D Lazarus

doi:10.1002/ase.1968

Forced Disruption of Anatomy Education in Australia and New Zealand: An Acute Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic

Anat Sci Educ. 2020 May;13(3):284-300. doi: 10.1002/ase.1968. Epub 2020 May 10.

Authors

Nalini Pather¹, Phil Blyth², Jamie A Chapman³, Manisha R Dayal⁴, Natasha A M S Flack², Quentin A Fogg⁵, Rodney A Green⁶, Anneliese K Hulme¹, Ian P Johnson⁷, Amanda J Meyer⁸, John W Morley⁹, Peter J Shortland⁴, Goran Štrkalj¹, Mirjana Štrkalj⁷, Krisztina Valter¹⁰, Alexandra L Webb¹⁰, Stephanie J Woodley², Michelle D Lazarus^{11

12}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Anatomy Education, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
² Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
³ Tasmanian School of Medicine, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
⁴ School of Science, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁵ Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
⁶ Department of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, College of Science, Health and Engineering, La Trobe University, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia.
⁷ Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁸ School of Human Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
⁹ School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
¹⁰ Medical Education Unit, Medical School, College of Health and Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
¹¹ Centre for Human Anatomy Education, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
¹² Monash Centre for Scholarship in Health Education, Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Abstract

Australian and New Zealand universities commenced a new academic year in February/March 2020 largely with "business as usual." The subsequent Covid-19 pandemic imposed unexpected disruptions to anatomical educational practice. Rapid change occurred due to government-imposed physical distancing regulations from March 2020 that increasingly restricted anatomy laboratory teaching practices. Anatomy educators in both these countries were mobilized to adjust their teaching approaches. This study on anatomy education disruption at pandemic onset within Australia and New Zealand adopts a social constructivist lens. The research question was "What are the perceived disruptions and changes made to anatomy education in Australia and New Zealand during the initial period of the Covid-19 pandemic, as reflected on by anatomy educators?." Thematic analysis to elucidate "the what and why" of anatomy education was applied to these reflections. About 18 anatomy academics from ten institutions participated in this exercise. The analysis revealed loss of integrated "hands-on" experiences, and impacts on workload, traditional roles, students, pedagogy, and anatomists' personal educational philosophies. The key opportunities recognized for anatomy education included: enabling synchronous teaching across remote sites, expanding offerings into the remote learning space, and embracing new pedagogies. In managing anatomy education's transition in response to the pandemic, six critical elements were identified: community care, clear communications, clarified expectations, constructive alignment, community of practice, ability to compromise, and adapt and continuity planning. There is no doubt that anatomy education has stepped into a yet unknown future in the island countries of Australia and New Zealand.

Keywords: Australia; Covid-19 pandemic; New Zealand; active learning; gross anatomy education; medical education; online delivery; online practical anatomy; reflective practices; remote learning; student well-being; workload.

MeSH terms

Anatomy / education*
Australia / epidemiology
COVID-19
Communicable Disease Control*
Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology*
Curriculum
Education, Distance
Humans
New Zealand / epidemiology
Pandemics
Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology*
Schools, Medical
Teaching