Exploring 3D Anatomy: a free open online course for three-dimensional spatial awareness¶
Design · All designs
Evidence · 2 claims (2 for) · 1 study (1 qualitative),q2· 0 of 1 report an effect size · 2 claims rest on one study
Description¶
Exploring 3D Anatomy is an open online course, collaboratively produced at universities in the United Kingdom and South Africa, and available free of charge via Canvas. It is designed to develop three-dimensional spatial awareness remotely, using accessible household objects and art-based learning, and can be described as a small-scale, open, free, formative, instructor-guided, vocational open online course. The external Instructure course achieved 460 users (2023-2026), while 4447 users joined the internal Canvas version since launch (2021-2026).
Design Implications¶
Context¶
Requirements¶
- Delivered via the Instructure Canvas learning management system, with a general Course Information module introducing educators, course aims, required materials, and navigation guidance
Constraints¶
- Available free of charge to institutional and non-institutional users; serves as a supplement to, rather than a replacement for, conventional teaching in areas under-represented in formal curricula
Target Learners¶
- Undergraduate medical students
- Novice anatomy learners globally
Learning Goals¶
- Three-dimensional spatial awareness
- Understanding of three-dimensional and cross-sectional anatomical concepts
Claims¶
- Medical students perceive Exploring 3D Anatomy as most valuable for novice learners, with advanced students requesting more clinical application [+W]
- Drawing and haptic-visual observation activities helped students visualize and notice anatomical details, though some found household objects insufficiently contextualized [+W]
Related Designs¶
- Pedagogical framework of Exploring 3D Anatomy: multimodal, experiential, and social learning with art-based cycles
- Modular exercise sequence progressing from cognitive visualization to combined haptic-visual drawing
Examples¶
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Key Sources¶
- Zhang J, Sachdeva M, McCaig C, Gordon E, Shapiro L, Keenan ID. (2026). Exploring 3D anatomy: A free online course supporting novice learner inquiry and spatial conceptualization. Anatomical Sciences Education. https://doi.org/10.1002/ase.70288
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
design |
id |
exploring-3d-anatomy-open-online-course |
title |
Exploring 3D Anatomy: a free open online course for three-dimensional spatial awareness |
description |
Exploring 3D Anatomy is an open online course, collaboratively produced at universities in the United Kingdom and South Africa, and available free of charge via Canvas. |
status |
review |
generated |
by process:settle-candidates on 2026-11-04 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — zhang-j-2026 |
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