A preliminary analysis of the effectiveness of online practical laboratory delivery using 3D models for higher education courses in biological anthropology

Practical-based laboratory instruction represents a substantial component of education in biological anthropology, a multidisciplinary field concerned with investigating human evolution, biology, and behaviour from an evolutionary perspective. The efficacy of online practical laboratory classes using 3D models as part of the mode of delivery, as compared to traditional face-to-face learning, is poorly understood in the field of biological anthropology despite an increased uptake of online learning and the potential benefits of embracing this delivery modality. We present the preliminary findings of an ongoing study exploring the effectiveness of online practical training using 3D resources in biological anthropology. Through a participant survey of undergraduate and postgraduate osteology and palaeoanthropology students (n = 27) from an Australian university, we assess (1) whether differences in teaching modality impact student comprehension of practical concepts and (2) whether student perceptions of learning vary between in-person and online teaching modalities. Our results show that there are no significant differences in test of knowledge scores between online and in-person in either biological anthropology sub-discipline. However, in-person students experienced an increased feeling of learning relative to the online students in our combined discipline and osteology-only cohorts. Feeling of learning scores were statistically significantly lower among the online osteology cohort relative to palaeoanthropology students. Our preliminary results suggest that online labs using 3D models may be an effective means of teaching practical skills in biological anthropology, although student perceptions of learning may be negatively impacted. Feelings of learning are also variable across sub-disciplines, suggesting a need for more nuanced investigations into the efficacy of online learning. Larger sample sizes are required to confirm these findings.