Is the Hand Quicker Than the Eye? How Curiosity Sparks but Design Sustains Innovation in Anatomy Education Research

Human interaction with the world is inherently multimodal, yet anatomy education has traditionally privileged vision. Early research in this area focused on visuospatial abilities, prompting a deeper question: what occurs when one modality—touch—is missing? During the pandemic-driven shift to virtual anatomy instruction, many students appeared to struggle. Among several contributing factors, the loss of haptic feedback may have played a covert and deleterious role.

To investigate this possibility, my team designed the Haptic Abilities Test (HAT), a hands-on counterpart to the mental rotation test. Initially developed as a rudimentary set of wooden blocks, the HAT evolved into a robust research program examining how gestures, timing, and stereotypical hand movements relate to spatial learning. These findings challenge prevailing assumptions and suggest that the ability to engage the hands (haptics) is not a pedagogical add-on but a powerful cognitive lever.

This presentation will trace the development of this work and argue for expanding multimedia learning theory to include haptics. It will explore key questions such as: How do students use their hands to learn anatomy? How can instruction better cultivate this overlooked modality? And what changes when touch is removed from the anatomy learning environment? Ultimately, the session will highlight how curiosity and intentional design can reshape anatomy education for a multimodal future.

This webinar is free and open access for both members and nonmembers.

Speaker:

Timothy Wilson, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Faculty of Anatomy, Cell Biology & Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada

Jason Organ, Ph.D., Indiana University

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