by Jocasta Williams
For many students, the transition from first- to second-year anatomy can feel like stepping off a cliff. After a long summer break, learners often forget a substantial portion of what they absorbed in their first year; in fact, studies at La Trobe University suggest the learning loss can be 40%-60%. This knowledge gap – sometimes called the ‘sophomore slump’ – can have serious consequences, leaving students unprepared for assessments and struggling to keep pace with increasingly complex material. In fact, at La Trobe, second-year anatomy once came with a sobering statistic: roughly one in three students were likely to fail.
Recognising this challenge, Dr Heath McGowan, Senior Lecturer in Human Anatomy, and his colleagues sought a way to better support students at the start of their second-year studies. They wanted a system that would help students refresh and consolidate their first-year knowledge, not just for highly motivated students, but also for those who might feel too busy, overwhelmed, or uncertain of what they had forgotten.
The solution became the Anatomy Kickstart Program, a targeted pre-semester initiative designed to reconnect students with foundational concepts. The program evolved through several iterations to maximise engagement.
The first attempt was a face-to-face, full-day session on campus. Attendance was low – around 20% – and those who did attend were often students already performing well. The next approach was an online synchronous session, which nearly doubled participation to 40%, but it still didn’t reach students who had struggled previously.
The breakthrough came with an asynchronous, quiz-driven model. Students complete a short ‘check your knowledge’ quiz covering core first-year anatomy topics. Incorrect responses direct learners to specific videos designed to address gaps. By focusing only on what they need, students avoid content they already understand. Engagement jumped to almost 80%, and students who needed the most support were finally participating actively.
The creation of these videos was made possible through grants from La Trobe University and from Echo360, which enabled the team to collaborate with a professional crew to film and animate the content. Beyond production, it also allowed the team to share their findings at conferences, ensuring that their insights could benefit other educators working on similar challenges.
The quiz-driven videos are carefully structured and professionally produced, with clear explanations and animated visuals. Students typically watch about half of each directed video, focusing on the parts relevant to the quiz questions they initially got wrong. This targeted approach allows learners to efficiently fill knowledge gaps without unnecessary repetition.
Feedback from students has been overwhelmingly positive. Learners appreciate the asynchronous format, the short, focused videos, and the way the program builds confidence heading into early assessments. Many report that completing the Kickstart Program reduces anxiety and gives them a sense of readiness that wasn’t previously possible. By week three when formal tests commence, some of this confidence has dipped a little but the students remain better prepared – a stark contrast to earlier years, when these first assessments often highlighted knowledge gaps.
The program’s impact on outcomes has been striking. Where failure rates in second-year anatomy once hovered around 33%, they are now approximately 8%. Students who previously would have struggled are achieving results on par with their peers, and confidence and engagement levels are noticeably higher. The combination of quizzes, directed videos, and data-driven insights creates a feedback loop that helps students efficiently target and fill gaps in their knowledge.
Creating the videos involved careful planning and execution. A small professional crew filmed multiple takes using teleprompters, props, and models to ensure clarity and accuracy. Each video was scripted and rehearsed to capture essential information concisely and engagingly. While the filming process posed challenges – reading from a screen while delivering material naturally is harder than it sounds – it resulted in polished, professional resources that students found easy to use and effective. And the plus is that these videos can be used and re-used, over and over, ensuring that this investment was well worth it.
The Kickstart Program for Anatomy is available across allied health and health sciences disciplines, including physiotherapy, podiatry, prosthetics and orthotics, occupational therapy, exercise science, and vision sciences. The asynchronous format allows students from diverse programs to access the content at a time when they need it, and at a pace that suits them. Even late in the semester, students often return to the videos to revisit foundational concepts as they tackle more advanced content.
The Kickstart Program for Anatomy demonstrates how structured, targeted video learning can transform student outcomes. By identifying gaps, directing students to the material they need, and providing high-quality visual explanations, it addresses the ‘sophomore slump’ without adding unnecessary lectures or in-person sessions. Students start their second-year anatomy studies better prepared, more confident, and ready to succeed, while educators ensure foundational knowledge is reinforced efficiently.
Purposeful, strategic interventions like these – thoughtfully designed and supported by technology – can make a significant difference. The Anatomy Kickstart Program is a clear example of how video, when combined with targeted assessment, creates flexible, effective learning pathways that empower student success.
