MLearning Blog - Teach Me Anatomy
Teach Me Anatomy mlearning app
cell phones having an unlimited number of applications, mobile learning applications (mlearning apps)
are gaining popularity inside and outside the classroom. Mlearning apps are designed to teach the user
about a specific subject, can aid in classroom activities and assignments, and also helps professionals
stay up-to-date with pertinent information about their field. With the variety of mlearning apps
available for download, it can be a bit overwhelming for users to find a quality app for an affordable
price.
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This blog looks at a mlearning app for healthcare called “Teach me Anatomy.”
There are two subscriptions for this mlearning app: basic and premium. For this blog, the basic (free)
subscription will be described vs the premium (paid). The targeted audience, per the application’s
description, are students, doctors, health professionals, and patients and currently has over a million
downloads on Google Play Store. Teachmeseriesltd is the publisher of the application, and they have 3
applications currently available to the public: Teach me Anatomy, Teach me Surgery, and Teach my
Physiology. For Teach me Anatomy, the basic design is for users to click on a specific area/subject they
want to learn about and then provides a list of subsections within that general area/subject. The major
categories provided for users are “the basics,” “the head,” “neuroanatomy,” “the neck,” “the thorax,”
“the back,” “the upper limb,” “the lower limb,” “the abdomen,” and “the pelvis.”
Each subcategory is the same to navigate and they include articles, images, clinical relevance materials
(if applicable), and a short assessment of 3 questions per subsection.
The design of the app is very straightforward and easy to navigate. Each subsection includes thorough
definitions and includes relevant images to compliment the material.
In the articles themselves, users are aware of subject changes by the background color of the article. It
switches from white to grey to signify a different topic or subject.
Within the articles, there are times that clinical relevance facts or case studies are included to make the
information more meaningful to real-life situations and diseases. For the images selected, they utilize
labeling and color techniques to make it easier to understand.
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There are obvious limitations to the application design. For example, the quizzes are not required by the
user to move forward to the next category, so learners cannot track or measure their learning growth in
the basic version of the app. While the targeted audience is those who would understand the medical
field, the articles themselves can be very lengthy and wordy and not suited for novice learners with no
prior knowledge on the subject. Medical terminology are used throughout the articles, sometimes
without definitions, so novice users could get overwhelmed and overloaded quickly trying to
understand the article. There are no built-in accessibility features that would aid learners with visual
impairments or who had a learning disability. It is also extremely expensive to unlock the full version of
the app, which promises more information, more images, more question banks, and a way to measure or
track learning. Depending on the purchase type it can range from $7.99 for basic tools all the way to
$200 to unlock the full premium version.
There are no multimedia experiences and no focus on readability for cell phones. There appears to be
no way to enlarge the text size and some of the articles are extremely lengthy. It is almost like a
supplementary textbook in an app. There are no techniques for “quick glance microlearning” for the
users.
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In terms of Universal Design Learning (UDL) principles, the app has strengths and weaknesses for the
7 principles of UDL. It does provide equitable use by providing the same means of use for all users, but
still falls short on making the design appealing to users. There is no flexibility for use designed in the
app. The use itself is simple and intuitive and the user does not have to worry about figuring out how to
navigate each section as the layout is the exact same. The app does use different modes for presenting
essential information by using pictures and writing, but it could use some upgrades to include other
modes like video options. It also uses bold font to indicate essential information and pertinent
definitions to the article. The app has eliminated any possibility of errors for user with easy and
repetitive navigation, so it fulfills the principle of tolerance for errors. It also fulfills the principle of low
physical effort as the app requires very little physical effort from the user to navigate and go from one
page to another. In terms of size and space for approach and use, the app does fall short by having no
way to increase the text size for visually impaired users and no assistive technology is integrated into
the app like text-to-voice options. It does, however, have a tab for each subsection that allows the user
to have access to all of the images used in the articles in a larger format and without the visual
distraction of words
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terminology, reproductive system information, neuroanatomy including central nervous system, bones,
muscles, nerves, and relevant clinical information for the subjects. It embodies situated cognition by
including “think about it” sections that the learner can actually do with their body to help solidify
anatomical terms of movement. With the intended audience of students and clinical relevance features,
students and doctors could use situated activities within their residency or clinical settings. It also falls
under cognitive apprenticeship theory because all of the knowledge in the app can be applied to real
world settings in clinicals and residency for doctors and practitioners. It can be used for learning for
supplemental information for anatomy or medical students. Detailed images included in the app can be
beneficial for both students and doctors who are in clinicals or residency. It has the potential to be used
in conjunction with learning management systems for training and knowledge check purposes in the
classroom and can be used as a collaborative tool among students in the classroom.
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Compared to other mlearning apps, “Teach me Anatomy” is less interactive for the user. It also does not
include smaller, bite-sized information for users on the go. It also has less ways to track learning in the
basic side of the app compared to other mlearning apps. The interface and design are simpler than other
mlearning apps that I have tried which makes using the app easy.
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