Frog Dissections and Virtual Reality
Before we replace the analog world, let’s ask ourselves why.
Technologists have a habit of looking for things in the analog world to replace with a digital alternative. There are already digital versions of frog dissections, and there will only be more as virtual and augmented reality take off. Before we get too enthusiastic about modeling interactive frogs to dissect, let’s slow down and ask ourselves “why?” Then we can ask “how might we” build experiences that make us better, not just replace analog because we can.
Ask Why
Why do we dissect frogs?
The basic answer is to learn biology. And for some, it’s the inspiration point to become a surgeon.
Why do we use frogs?
They’re similar enough to humans for us to learn about our own organs through the process. And they’re practical: their small size is appropriate to bring into a classroom, and they’re abundant (in other words, cheap).
Bullfrogs, for example, are an invasive species in much of the United States. […] Bullfrogs, while not the only frogs used for dissection, are among the most common. The use of these frogs serves a dual purpose, controlling their populations and providing a learning experience at the same time.
Why is it important to dissect a real frog?
This goes back to first why. Do we dissect a frog to learn about organs and the circulatory system? Or do we dissect a frog to learn what it feels like to touch organs and cultivate amazement of and respect for living beings?
The National Association of Biology Teachers states, “The NABT acknowledges that no alternative can substitute for the actual experience of dissection or other use of animals and urges teachers to be aware of the limitations of alternatives.”
Both. The answer is we dissect frogs both to enhance learning and knowledge retention about how things work, and to feel* something more than the factual knowledge that we store in our brains.
*even if that feeling is sometimes feeling grossed out
Ask How Might We
Let’s ask “how might we” around two types of learning: kinesthetic learning and cerebral learning. Cerebral being a fancy sounding word I’m using to refer to factual knowledge, understanding theory, creating logic, modeling processes… so thinking types of knowledge. Kinesthetic learning meaning there is something more than just factual knowledge.
How might we enhance kinesthetic learning?
- How might we help foster the awe and respect that comes from dissecting a real frog?
- How might we close the gap between referring to diagram and looking at the real frog to identify organs?
- How might we increase a student’s confidence to make a dissection cut?
- How might we go beyond identification of organs to building understanding of how the organs work together?
Maybe we use augmented reality to help students identify the parts of the frog as they’re looking at the frog. Maybe it is overlaying a simulation of how the heart would pump blood through the frog, or how food moves through the digestive system.
How might we enhance cerebral or factual learning?
When focusing on just cerebral or factual learning (in a lesson before or after a real frog dissection), the first question to ask is: does it still need to be a frog? The reason why it’s a frog in real life is due to the real life practicalities. Going into pure virtual, let’s explore experiences that do more than trying to replicate the analog kinesthetic learning, and instead create otherwise impossible learning experiences.
- How might we learn about the circulatory system? the digestive system?
- How might we create a learning experience that cannot exist in the analog world?
- How might we use scale? or the lack of real life consequences*?
- How might we tear down our expectations of how you’re suppose to learn the theory and logic of how something works?
*a consequence can as simple as making a huge mess in real life
I don’t know what the answer is in the virtual or alternative reality space, but breaking away the constraint of trying to replace existing analog methods feels quite liberating.
A big thank to Tawny Schlieski who helped me have this aha! moment.
