Many months in the making, this release introduces a large assortment of new content, features, and user experience upgrades for both educators and learners. From three brand-new categories of 3D content—Bony Landmarks, Origins & Insertions, and Anatomy Quizzes—to Latin names in our anatomy labels, these updates have one thing in common: they were designed to improve the learner’s understanding and retention of complex health concepts.

 

Improved anatomy labels & descriptions

Product: Web app, mobile apps, and Human Viewer

We have made two enhancements to our anatomy labels and anatomy descriptions to improve their quality and make it easier for learners to retain information about key anatomical structures.

1. Latin names in anatomy labels

When available, an anatomical structure's Latin name will now appear directly beneath its standard name in the anatomy label, which appears when a user selects any anatomical structure in a given 3D model. 

 

2. New anatomy descriptions

In addition, the anatomy descriptions that come with many of our anatomical structures—and were previously sourced from Wikipedia—have been replaced by new, custom descriptions written by the BioDigital team.

As always, if you enable the "Anatomy Descriptions" option when you publish your 3D model and then select any structure in the model, the "Read More" link that appears in the anatomy label will open a detailed description of the structure in the information panel. When available, this description will now default to a custom BioDigital description.

If a BioDigital description is unavailable for a given structure, a fallback description from Wikipedia will be shown instead. If you are a member of a team, your administrator(s) can opt to change your team's fallback description source from Wikipedia to NCIT. This option is available on the Team page under Manage > Settings.

If no description is available for a given structure, a "Read More" link will not appear.

 

Improved search in languages other than English

Product: BioDigital Human web app

When your language is set to a language other than English and you perform a keyword search in that language in Explore, your search results will now properly reflect your search terms. For example, if your language is set to Español (ES) and you type "corazón" into the search bar, your search results will now include models whose metadata (e.g., title, description, anatomical structure names) contain the word "corazón."  

 

Two new anatomy categories in Explore

Product: Web app and mobile apps

We have added two new categories of 3D anatomy models to the Human Library:

1. Bony Landmarks
2. Origins & Insertions

Both categories can be found in the "Anatomy" section in Explore.

1. Bony Landmarks

In these models learners can study the key sub-structures and regions of the bones that serve as a reference for measurement. Each landmark is visualized by a translucent layer of Paint and can be selected, labeled, hidden, or modified with additional Paint colors and/or effects in Studio.

The following models can be found in this new category:

1. Complete Anatomy: Bony Landmarks
2. Head & Neck: Bony Landmarks
3. Lower Limb: Bony Landmarks
4. Torso: Bony Landmarks
5. Upper Limb: Bony Landmarks

2. Origins & Insertions

In these models learners can study the bumps, grooves, ridges, and landmarks where our muscles attach to the bones.

Each origin—attachment points that remain immobile during an action—is visualized by an opaque layer of red Paint. Each insertion—attachment points that move during an action—is visualized by an opaque layer of blue Paint. 

All origins and insertions can be selected, labeled, hidden, or modified with additional Paint colors and/or effects in Studio.

The following models can be found in this new category:

1. Complete Anatomy: Origins & Insertions
2. Torso: Origins & Insertions
3. Lower Limb: Origins & Insertions
4. Skull: Origins & Insertions
5. Upper Limb: Origins & Insertions
6. In the "Origins & Insertions" category, you will find 5 new models that illustrate

 

Ready-made anatomy quizzes in Explore

Product: Web app and mobile apps

In addition to Bony Landmarks and Origins & Insertions, we have added a third Anatomy category to Explore called Anatomy Quizzes.

This new category contains over 100 ready-made 3D anatomy quizzes that can be published for use outside the app or taken by learners inside the app (simple hover over the tile and click Take Quiz). As with any model in the app, these quizzes can also be modified in Studio. The next time you want to incorporate a 3D quiz into your curriculum, search or browse this category first and save yourself valuable time!

Note: These quizzes do not come with a learning tour (they are saved as standalone quizzes), but you are welcome to add your own didactic material in Studio and then change the Quiz only setting to View & Quiz.

 

Save standalone quizzes

Product: Human Studio

We have introduced a Quiz only setting in Human Studio that allows you to save your 3D quiz as a standalone experience. This option is one of three new settings you can choose from when you add quiz questions to a model in Studio:

1. View & Quiz
2. View only
3. Quiz only

1. View & Quiz (default)

View & Quiz—the default setting for any model that contains a quiz—enables both View mode and Quiz mode inside the app. Outside the app, this setting enables both View mode and Quiz mode unless you publish your model/quiz in Assessment Mode. See How do these settings work with "Assessment Mode"? below for more details.

2. View only

View only enables View mode and disables Quiz mode both inside and outside the app. Selecting this option is the same as unchecking Enable Quiz in your quiz settings. 

3. Quiz only

Quiz only disables View mode and enables Quiz mode both inside and outside the app. Use this setting if you do not need your quiz to be associated with learning tour—for example, if you want to learners to be able to quickly launch knowledge checks inside the app without the distraction of didactic material, or you want to use different models for your learning tour and its associated quiz (e.g., remove paint colors that would give away the answer, or remove extraneous structures).

How do these settings work with "Assessment Mode"?

In addition to the new quiz settings in Studio, the "Show Quiz only" option in Publish has been renamed "Assessment Mode." In addition to locking the model in Quiz mode when selected, this option will now also prevent learners from retaking the quiz after their initial attempt.

The flow chart below explains the experience learners can expect inside and outside app for different combinations of Studio and publishing settings.

 

Enhancements to the 3D quiz experience

Product: Web app, mobile apps, Human Studio, and Human Viewer

We have made a number of updates in Studio and the Viewer to improve the 3D quiz experience for learners:

1. Any of a set of structures can be correct in "Select Anatomy in 3D" questions
2. Explore toolbar auto-expanded in "Select Anatomy in 3D" questions
3. Correct answers shown in labels in "Label Anatomy" questions
4. Option to retain labels in any quiz question

1. Any of a set of structures can be correct in "Select Anatomy in 3D" questions

When creating a Select Anatomy in 3D question in Studio, you now have the option to select multiple structures as possible correct answers. This enables you to test learners' recall of structures that come in a pair or set without requiring that they select all of the possible structures at once.

For example, if you want the learner to identify either of the two phrenic nerves, you can now select the right phrenic nerve and left phrenic nerve in the model and choose Can select any of the answers listed under Correct Answer. In quiz mode, the learner can select either structure and it will be marked correct.

On the other hand, let's say your goal is to assess the learner's recall of how multiple, smaller structures comprise a larger structure or group of structures. For example, Select all of the thoracic vertebrae in the model. In this case, you should select all of the correct answers in the model and then choose Must select all answers listed under Correct Answer. In quiz mode, the learner will be required to select all of the thoracic vertebrae—T1-T12—in order to be marked correct.

2. "Select Anatomy in 3D" questions begin with the Explore toolbar open

When a Select Anatomy in 3D question is launched in the web app or the Human Viewer, the Explore toolbar is now expanded by default so learners are more readily aware that they can hide structures that may be obstructing the correct answer(s).

3. Correct answers shown in labels in "Label Anatomy" questions

After the learner submits their answers to a Label Anatomy question, the correct answer now appears in the label itself as well as in the information panel, making it easier for the learner to compare their incorrect answer to the correct answer.

4. Retain labels in any quiz question

By default, all labels that appear in a given chapter—whether they came with the original model, or you added them in Studio—are hidden when you switch to Quiz mode. 

However, you now have the option to retain a given chapter's labels in your question to provide additional context. Simply click on the Advanced tab and select Show chapter's labels.