Pedagogical Tools to Address Clinical Anatomy and Athletic Training Student Learning Styles

Context: A thorough knowledge of anatomy is needed in four of the six domains of athletic training: prevention, injury/condition recognition, immediate care, and treatment/rehabilitation. Students with a solid foundation can achieve competency in these specific domains.

Objective: To provide educators with pedagogical tools to promote a deeper understanding of the human body and its relationship with athletic injuries

Background: Research demonstrates that there is no one dominant learning style among athletic training students, and therefore, educators are encouraged to utilize and expose students to a variety of teaching strategies. Throughout the athletic training literature, there are a host of pedagogic tools that can help encourage independent thinking, cognitive knowledge, and skill application. The same techniques can be tailored to increase human anatomy knowledge and application. Additionally, most curriculums do not have the ability to create a class solely dedicated to human anatomy. Therefore, it is important to incorporate as many learning opportunities within existing curriculums to help student learning.

Description: Discourse, puzzles, open discussion, and simulations are teaching methods that can be utilized in existing curriculums to further facilitate anatomical knowledge.

Clinical Advantages: Students who have a solid background in human anatomy will demonstrate a stronger understanding and apply their knowledge within four of the six domains of athletic training.

Conclusions: Educators can use a variety of teaching techniques in order to develop a student's acquisition and retention of anatomical knowledge. The use of multiple educational techniques can not only address a student's strengths as a learner but also challenge them by impelling them to address their weaknesses as a learner. It will also encourage practical application of anatomy when evaluating and treating athletic injuries.