Technology-enhanced learning in undergraduate neuroscience education: tractography-based virtual dissection in psychology

Neuroanatomy presents a substantial hurdle for Psychology students because of its intricate spatial and conceptual nature. Educational strategies that improve the relevance and visual representation of neuroanatomical material could potentially elevate students' learning experiences. To investigate this, a study was conducted where tractography-based activities centered on the virtual dissection of the arcuate fasciculus, a key white matter pathway, were introduced to undergraduate Psychology students.

The study aimed to explore the connections between perceived learning and students' views on the activity's utility, complexity, handling, and organizational facets.

The study involved first-year Psychology students taking part in a two-session activity that integrated instruction on white matter anatomy and diffusion tractography, followed by a hands-on virtual dissection of the arcuate fasciculus using sophisticated research-grade software typically utilized in neuroscience research. After the activity, students filled out an anonymous survey gauging their perceptions of learning, utility, complexity, handling, and organizational elements of the activity.

Statistical analyses, including Pearson correlations, multiple regression, and relative importance analysis, were conducted on the responses.

Out of the 68 students who completed the survey, the results indicated that students largely held favorable views of the activity across all assessed dimensions. The mean score for perceived learning was notably high at 3.44, with a standard deviation of 0.85, suggesting a strong sense of learning enhancement. Among the dimensions evaluated, perceived utility demonstrated the most robust link to perceived learning, with a correlation coefficient of 0.64, which was statistically significant (p < .05).