While traditional anatomy education often emphasizes passive learning and rote memorization, it seldom employs constructivist theories that focus on active, hands‐on experiences for effective learning. This study tests the hypothesis that tactile experiences with modeling clay enhance geometric mental representation more effectively than verbal descriptions. We examine the potential of clay modeling to reflect and evaluate students' mental representation of anatomical structures. Utilizing a prospective randomized, open, blind endpoint (PROBE) design, we engaged 36 participants divided into three groups: blind, visually impaired, and a control group. The primary outcome measure was the difference between post‐touch score and pre‐touch score, which gauged the efficacy of tactile intervention in enhancing the participants' capacity to mentally reconstruct a well‐designed anatomical fiction structure. Scoring was executed using a double‐blind double‐evaluation methodology, positioning clay model reconstruction as both an objective reliable assessment and a pedagogical tool. The analysis demonstrated a pronounced improvement in mental representation of anatomical structures, particularly in spatial comprehension and detailed textural discernment, with the mean score soaring from 47.81 pre‐touch to 85.09 post‐touch. Distinct cognitive processing adaptations were evident across groups, with the blind group excelling in tactile acuity and the visually impaired group showing the most significant gains in spatial understanding post‐intervention (Cohen's d = 2.74). The application of modeling clay as a tactile intervention tool can significantly improve the learning of anatomy among medical students. The study underscores the value of active, multisensory engagement and customized teaching strategies for effective anatomy education among this demographic.

中文翻译：

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通过粘土建模作为评估工具增强医学生几何心理表征和解剖学学习的前瞻性比较研究

虽然传统的解剖学教育往往强调被动学习和死记硬背，但很少采用注重主动、实践经验来进行有效学习的建构主义理论。这项研究检验了这样的假设：粘土模型的触觉体验比口头描述更有效地增强了几何心理表征。我们研究了粘土建模在反映和评估学生对解剖结构的心理表征方面的潜力。我们采用前瞻性随机、开放、盲人终点 (PROBE) 设计，将 36 名参与者分为三组：盲人组、视障组和对照组。主要结果指标是触摸后评分和触摸前评分之间的差异，它衡量触觉干预在增强参与者在心理上重建精心设计的解剖小说结构的能力方面的功效。使用双盲双重评估方法进行评分，将粘土模型重建定位为客观可靠的评估和教学工具。分析表明，解剖结构的心理表征有显着改善，特别是在空间理解和详细纹理辨别方面，平均得分从触摸前的 47.81 分飙升至触摸后的 85.09 分。各组之间明显存在明显的认知处理适应，盲人组在触觉敏锐度方面表现出色，视障组在干预后的空间理解方面表现出最显着的进步（Cohen's d = 2.74）。应用造型粘土作为触觉干预工具可以显着提高医学生解剖学的学习。该研究强调了积极的、多感官的参与和定制的教学策略对于在这一人群中进行有效的解剖学教育的价值。