An Appraisal of Current Teaching of Anatomy to Clinical Speech and Language Students

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Horner, Catherine H.

Affiliations: Senior Lecturer in Anatomy, Department of Anatomy, Trinity College, Dublin

Abstract: The relevance of pre-clinical subject matter to the future practice of professional students is often not obvious. The overburdened curriculum leads to learning methods employed purely to pass assessments. The teaching of anatomy to students in the clinical speech and language degree course in Trinity College, Dublin has been compared with that taught in other schools both in the UK and further afield. It would appear that although schools differ in certain aspects, e.g., methods of assessment, the general teaching pattern of more lectures than practicals prevails. Few other teaching methods are employed and the courses seem to be teacher-centred and examination-driven. However, the majority of schools recommend an individual course tailored to suit their students needs, preferably taught in association with physiology or as a conjoint course. The systematic approach to teaching anatomy is favoured, although for practical purposes, regional teaching is often the method used.

Keywords: anatomy, teaching methods, curriculum

DOI: 10.3233/ACS-1993-3105

Journal: Journal of Clinical Speech and Language Studies, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 54-62, 1993