Educational decision diagrams in biomedical and life sciences - experience gained from introducing into anthropology classes

Abstract Graphic organizers are visual knowledge representations believed to be helpful in understanding relationships between concepts and processes. The goal of this study was to verify whether replacing a linear textbook chapter with an interactive graphic organizer improved students’ reaction, knowledge retention and transfer in an anthropology class. The applied graphic organizer, an educational decision diagram in recognizing human developmental age based on dentition, was created using the Bit Pathways tool. Students were randomly divided into two groups, one using an interactive, web-based graphic organizer, the other using traditional textbook chapter. After a week students were tested on retaining knowledge and practical skills. No statistically significant differences in learning effect could be observed between the experimental and control group. Nevertheless, the results of students satisfaction survey show that students actually enjoyed the class, appreciated innovation in their learning activities and subjectively assessed the pathway as more interesting and effective than the textbook chapter.