Dr. Arlene Nishimwe

We aimed to determine whether a Case-Based Collaborative Learning (CBCL) curriculum, developed from the clinical experience of U.S.-based clinicians in collaboration with Rwandan medical faculty, is acceptable, feasible to implement, and effective as a virtual educational tool for medical students in a resource-limited, global health setting. In this CBCL distance learning education, students were actively engaged and understood the case material and asked probing and insightful questions. Course evaluations showed that 106 of the 120 total student responses (88.3%) said that the difficulty level was “about right”, while only 11/120 (9.2%) said it was “too easy” and 3/120 (2.5%) said it was “too hard” providing evidence that even though the cases were largely based on clinical encounters at an American academic medical center, they are understandable, and at the appropriate level of difficulty for Rwanda-based medical students. Qualitative analysis from student comments found the CBCL method most helpful for students to develop diagnostic frameworks, and the practice of clinical reasoning using CBCL was engaging and interactive. This method of a virtual, international CBCL approach, was feasible, effective, and acceptable for students. A large majority of students found the sessions to be of appropriate difficulty and engaging. From the global health and inter-cultural exchange perspective, this collaboration demonstrates feasibility and acceptability of international partnerships. Using virtual, video conferencing technology, similar future collaborations can improve capacity building in lower-resource settings.

Background: This article presents a qualitative study of African anatomists and anatomy teachers on the Anatomage Table-a modern medical education technology and innovation, as an indicator of African anatomy medical and anatomy educators' acceptance of EdTech. The Anatomage Table is used for digital dissection, prosection, functional anatomy demonstration, virtual simulation of certain functions, and interactive digital teaching aid. Materials and methods: Anatomy teachers [n=79] from 11 representative African countries, Ghana, Nigeria [West Africa], Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda [East Africa], Namibia [South Africa], Zambia [Southern Africa], Egypt [North Africa], and Sudan [Central Africa], participated in this study. Focus group discussions [FGDs] were set up to obtain qualitative information from stakeholders from representative institutions. In addition, based on the set criteria, selected education leaders and stakeholders in representative institutions participated in In-depth Interviews [IDIs]. The interview explored critical issues concerning their perceptions about the acceptance, adoption, and integration of educational technology, specifically, the Anatomage Table into the teaching of Anatomy and related medical sciences in the African continent. Recorded interviews were transcribed and analyzed using the Dedoose software. Results: African anatomists are generally technology inclined and in favor of EdTech. The most recurring opinion was that the Anatomage Table could only be a "complementary teaching tool to cadavers" and that it "can't replace the real-life experience of cadavers." Particularly, respondents from user institutions opined that it "complements the traditional cadaver-based approaches" to anatomy learning and inquiry, including being a good "complement for cadaveric skill lab" sessions. Compared with the traditional cadaveric dissections a majority also considered it less problematic regarding cultural acceptability and health and safety-related concerns. The lifelikeness of the 3D representation is a major factor that drives acceptability. Keywords: Africa; Anatomage; anatomy; educational technology; innovations; medical education.

Background: The Anatomage Table is a modern technology that is used to enhance the teaching of human anatomy and related basic medical sciences to medical and allied health students. Its use is gaining popularity. This study considered anatomy teachers' perception and acceptance of the Anatomage Table technology and digital teaching materials in the training of medical and allied health students in African countries. Materials and methods: Validated questionnaires were used. Altogether, 79 respondents fully participated in the study, with all African regions being represented as follows: Ghana, Nigeria (West Africa), Ethiopia Kenya Rwanda (East Africa), Namibia, South Africa, Zambia (Southern Africa), Egypt (North Africa), and Sudan (Central Africa). Responses were obtained from the electronic Google form, organized on Excel spreadsheets, and analyzed using the SPSS statistical software version 23.0 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY). Results: In terms of proportion, 29.1% of respondents reported that they had some level of mastery in using the Anatomage Table; with 6.3% of all the participants reportedly having a high mastery of this technology, 12% and 6% reported that they had an average mastery and low mastery levels, respectively. Participants' rating of their level of agreement with whether the Anatomage Table is a useful EdTech showed that 54.4% of them strongly agreed while 27.8% just agreed. The majority considered the use of the Anatomage as a means of embracing the global culture of technology-in-medical sciences (87.3%). Conclusion: Most respondents would accept the technology as a complementary tool to support the existing traditional practices, especially cadaveric. Keywords: africa; anatomage; anatomical education; edtech; innovations.