The Future of Education

Students of kinesiology are expected to graduate with elaborate knowledge of the bodily structures involved in producing, resisting, and controlling motion.  Appreciation of functional anatomy of the musculoskeletal structures is crucial for satisfactory assessment and treatment of related disorders, and it involves visual-spatial cognition.  Meanwhile, the research literature scarcely addresses the importance and impact of spatial and three-dimensional learning for learners of human anatomy.  An uncommon method thought to promote the learning of the spatial relationships of musculoskeletal structures was adapted, and subsequently evaluated among 129 undergraduate students at the University of the Fraser Valley.  Exam scores were compared between two groups, where the only intentional difference in instructional methodology was the use of clay modeling with one group and not the other.  No significant differences were found between experimental and control groups when comparing the mean scores of the same exams.  Despite a significant reduction in hands-on time with the other models being used for muscle examination, it would seem the learning through clay modelling transferred to the contexts of the other muscle exam questions.  Directions for future research include using mixed methodologies research design and investigating the impact of this teaching and learning modality on long term retention.