3rd International Symposium for Engineering Education, 2010, University College Cork, Ireland USE OF WEB-BASED SOFTWARE AND JOINT MODELS TO TEACH ANATOMY TO ENGINEERING STUDENTS Thomas J Joyce* School of Mechanical and Systems Engineering, Newcastle University, UK Abstract: Human anatomy is a complex subject but how can engineering students, with little formal background knowledge, be quickly taught this intricate and new topic? Innovative teaching materials in the form of web-based anatomical software and human joint models were introduced into a Masters level bioengineering course two years ago. In the current year a visit to a dissection lab was added and, based on student feedback, dynamic models of human joints were purchased and introduced. For the software and the models bespoke teaching documents, which students worked through in pairs or small groups, were produced by the author. Anatomy and the associated language can be seen as a dry, difficult and peripheral subject by engineering students. Therefore an aim was to use multiple, hands-on and interactive methods to help students to learn anatomy quickly. Student feedback has been collected over two academic years and has been equally positive about learning from the software and the models of human joints. In addition the author noted that students appeared to interact well with the teaching materials and the small group working encouraged discussion and sharing of opinion. At approximately £4,400 (€5,000) for one year‟s access for ten seats, the software is expensive. Combining the positive learning benefits of non-hierarchal, small group and peer-to-peer learning with innovative and novel teaching aids quickly and effectively enhanced the student learning experience of atypical material by a cohort of engineering students. Keywords; bioengineering, anatomy. *Correspondence to: Thomas J Joyce, School of Mechanical and Systems Engineering, Newcastle University, Stephenson Building, Claremont Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK. E-mail: t.j.joyce@ncl.ac.uk 1. INTRODUCTION One of the fascinating yet challenging aspects of modern engineering is its remarkably multidisciplinary nature. Straightforward examples include mechatronics, where a combination of mechanical engineering and electronics are successfully realised in millions of consumer products. Another multidisciplinary example is bioengineering, and data from the United States shows this to be the fastest growing area of undergraduate engineering education in the USA (American Society for Engineering Education, 2008). In such nascent fields there is the need to quickly and effectively introduce engineering students to sciences and subjects they may have not met previously.