Chula presents App that promotes self-learning for Canine Anatomy

In the New Normal, the app promotes a form of self-learning and has earned international recognition in the Best Innovation Award at a competition in Romania.

Advances in digital technology have opened up a whole new world of learning – anywhere, any time, and most importantly it’s an entertaining way to learn with applications such as “ARGBL Canine Head” developed by Assistant Professor Pawana Chuesiri of the Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University.

“Nowadays, there have been adjustments so that a lot of learning takes place online. What we have found is that some of the subjects we teach are packed with information making it hard for the students to absorb them all in a limited time.  More importantly, during the recent pandemic, students weren’t able to attend classes on-site and couldn’t practice their skills of dissecting large animals like dogs to study their internal anatomical structures.  Therefore, we came up with a way for students to learn these topics by themselves, from home,” Pawana explained how the app came into being in 2022.

“ARGBL Canine Head” to promote Active Learning for canine anatomy

ARGBL Canine Head (Augmented Reality on Mobile Game-Based Learning Application for Veterinary Students: Canine Head Anatomy) is a virtual reality media for learning where a three-dimensional head of a dog appears on the screen with anatomical features such as the skin, bones, muscles, salivary glands, lymph nodes, nerves, salivary ducts, veins, arteries, and various sensory organs that all appear very real.”

In her opinion, the use of the application along with the augmented reality canine head anatomy can increase the effectiveness of the student’s learning process which is better than simply listening to online lectures.

“The application can be used as a prototype in employing technology for active learning.  We now have plans to adapt more features to apply to other parts of canine anatomy as well,” Pawana added.

The ARGBL Canine Head has been patented by Thailand’s Department of Intellectual Property as an active-learning medium of instruction in veterinary science anatomy.  Those who have used the application in their studies will also receive a certificate of recognition after the game has ended.
 

How the “ARGBL Canine Head” responds to modern-day learning and education.

For Asst. Prof.  Pawana, “ARGBL Canine Head” is a medium of learning that can transcend the limitations of learning and responds to modern-day learning in many ways such as:

•    It provides a solution to online teaching.
•    It enables students to understand the lessons themselves through the use of a three-dimensional format that can be expanded or minimized for a clearer view of the animal’s internal structure.  
•    It promotes the imagination via visualization of the animal’s virtual structure; 
•    It increases the student’s scholastic achievements in comparison with listening only to online lectures. 
•    It enables students to better understand the content of what they are learning entertainingly. 
•    It reduces the need for the importation of learning materials from foreign countries. 
•    It reduces the risk of coming into direct contact with chemicals and various diseases when preparing a dog’s cadaver.
•    It helps to reduce the risk of psychological problems as well as stress generated by studies.

With its outstanding qualities, the “ARGBL Canine Head” application has garnered numerous awards at both the national and international levels – for its innovative inventions- the 2023 award of merit in education from the National Research Council of Thailand along with many other awards from the INVENTCOR 2022: 3rd International Exhibition, INVENTCOR 2022 held in Deva, Romania as follows:

•    INVENTCOR 2022 Gold Medal Award
•    INVENTCOR 2022 Special Award
•    Special Award by Politehnica University of Timișoara – Romania
•    Certificate of Excellence by Center for Innovation and Technology Transfer Politehnica (CITT) – Romania
•    Canadian Special Award by the Innovation Initiative Co-operative Inc. “The Inventors Circle” – Toronto, Canada

Pawana also added that the ARGBL Canine Head application can be used as educational material for Veterinary Science students, veterinarians who treat animal diseases, and those interested in learning more about canine anatomy.  In the future, she hopes to extend the use of the application to thirteen educational institutions involved in producing veterinarians all over the country along with using the application at government and private animal clinics and hospitals.

Those interested can download ARGBL Canine Head from the App Store, and Play Store by making sure they fill out all the users’ information before pressing “agree” to get the trial session for the ARGBL Canine Head game.