William Paterson Biology Department Incorporates New 3D Anatomy and Virtual Dissection Table into Curriculum


Professor Jeung Woon Lee (left) and two students in his Advanced Anatomy and Physiology class explore the Anatomage 3D virtual dissection table

After William Paterson biology professor Jeung Woon Lee welcomes students into his Monday morning Anatomy 101 class, he brings a group of six over to the new 3D virtual dissection and anatomy learning table, the Anatomage, to begin a short lesson on the bronchioles and their branches.

One by one, the students take turns dragging their fingers across a large screen that resembles a computer tablet resting on a large table, rotating a full-size 3D model of a human male and navigating the Anatomage’s menu options.

The Anatomage, an interactive anatomy and physiology learning system used in top medical schools across the U.S., allows undergraduate students to experience lessons and concepts that can be challenging to teach on the plastic models and diagrams commonly found in biology classrooms.

“With the Anatomage table, we can bring advanced lessons and knowledge to undergraduate-level students who wouldn’t get a chance to experience them,” says Professor Lee. “There’s also a fun factor to this, and seeing how excited the students are to learn makes me excited to teach them.”

After Professor Lee’s anatomy students quickly familiarize themselves with the intuitive learning table, he begins demonstrating incisions before cycling through the different valves and arteries of the heart, switching seamlessly between his lesson and controlling the table to show students  3D models of what he is instructing.

The virtual learning table, acquired by the department through strategic University funding for the College of Science and Health, offers cutting-edge 3D visualization of anatomy and physiology, with complete anatomical data of organs, muscles, tissues, nerves, and vascular systems. Users are also able to simulate medical practices such EKG testing, prenatal care, radiology, and physical therapy.

“This tool will be essential for student engagement and learning, and William Paterson joins a few select schools nationwide that provide access for our students with Anatomy and Physiology learning,” says Venkat Sharma, PhD, dean of the College of Science and Health at William Paterson. "I am certain that this instrument will be an essential tool to provide students custom-tailored lab components.”

With the new addition, professors can instruct their classes with a captivating and intuitive digital tool, while minimizing quiz preparation with Anatomage’s preloaded and easy-to-make testing functions. The option to project content onto a larger screen also allows professors to teach lessons and play built-in educational games with large classes.

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11/16/21