Learning anatomy through podcasts, wikis and Facebook

Ali Jalali, MD, is passionate about using technology like podcasting, wikis and Facebook to ease learning. As one of nine professor-ambassadors of the Teaching Matters! Campaign, Dr. Jalali participated in the 2011 Kesarwani Lecture hosted by the Teaching and Learning Support Service, demonstrating how these technologies make it easier for students to apply and retain information.

"During the past several years, I've developed podcasts as a supplemental learning resource to facilitate my students' learning of the anatomical curriculum. Student use and assessments of these podcasts were tracked to determine their response to this innovative learning resource. The analysis of data from this project suggested that a majority of students found podcasting to be an exceptionally useful educational tool, and the project received a very encouraging response from both students and faculty," says Dr. Jalali.

Dr. Jalali has taught anatomy at the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Medicine since 2003. He also holds a specialty diploma in sports medicine from the Université de Liège (2002) and took part in the 2010 Canadian Leadership Institute for Medical Education of the Canadian Association for Medical Education (2010). His research focuses on innovation in teaching and on anatomic variations. He received both the Faculty of Medicine's Teaching Skills Attainment Award with Merit and uOttawa's Excellence in Education Prize in 2010.

In addition to promoting active learning through podcasting, wikis and Facebook, Professor Jalali is extremely active in the development of teaching projects and in the reform of the undergraduate medical curriculum.

Get in touch with Dr. Jalali on Twitter (@arjalali) or visit his website.

Text: Magdalena Bober
Photo: Sylvain Marier
Published: April 2012