1 Comment on Review Update: Acland’s Video Atlas of Human Anatomy 294
Adrienne Brodie, MLS
A.T. Still Memorial Library
A.T. Still University
This is an update of Margaret A. Hoogland’s review of Acland’s Video Atlas of Human Anatomy that was published in the June 2019 issue of Doody’s Collection Development Monthly. The original review is available here.
Purpose and Audience
The purpose of Acland’s is to provide information about human anatomy. The original intended audience was individual medical and dental students. Due to its popularity, the audience has grown to include medical practitioners, allied health students, secondary and undergraduate students, and nonmedical users.
Content
The atlas still consists of five volumes, each focused on a different area of the body. There are videos of real dissected human anatomical specimens, detailing individual anatomical structures and their movements.
Students are still able to create personal accounts to take exams for each of the volumes. Exams can be timed, with 60 seconds per question, to mimic an exam experience. Students also can retake exams and opt to see only questions they previously got wrong. Answers can be displayed immediately after answering a question or at the end of the exam.
An A-Z index and a search bar are available to locate specific videos in the collection. The glossary consists of an alphabetical list of anatomical terms, along with the word origin and translation.
Features and Functionality
No new features have been added since the original review, but Acland’s has some unique features compared to other anatomy learning tools. It presents a three-dimensional view of all anatomy structures. Since the recordings were made from real human specimens, there is a natural color, texture, and movement to the body. The detailed dissections were completed by clinical anatomists and recorded with studio lighting and a black background to produce clear and well-defined images. Each of the structures is labeled when displayed for the first time.
A complete list of URLs is available for individual videos, allowing faculty or librarians to easily embed the content in course materials, LibGuides, or a library catalog.
The site is easy to navigate, with a top navigation menu. The A-Z index allows users to easily find videos based on anatomical structure.
A possible improvement to the platform would be an app for students. As information is accessed more through phones and tablets, an individual app would allow students to study on other devices besides their computer.
Business Model & Breakthrough
New since the original review is the ability for individuals to request a 48-hour trial to preview all the videos and functionality. The individual purchasing methods are still the same. Individuals can purchase a 6-month or 1-year full subscription to the entire collection or to individual volumes. Institutional subscriptions are available for universities, libraries, hospitals, or other institutions. Libraries should purchase a license to have a thorough anatomy video collection for any of their programs that include the study of anatomy. The price is not high and can easily fit into various budget sizes.
References
Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. (2021). About. Acland’s Video Atlas of Anatomy. https://aclandanatomy.com/public/About.aspx
Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. (2021). Individual Subscriptions to AclandAnatomy.com. Acland’s Video Atlas of Anatomy. https://store.aclandanatomy.com/home.aspx
Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. (2021). “Getting Started” User Guide. Acland’s Video Atlas of Anatomy. https://aclandanatomy.com/DocumentLibrary/Acland%20User%20Guide%20Feb%202017.pdf
1 Comment
Adrienne, thank you for the very comprehensive review of Acland’s Video Atlas of Human Anatomy. We very much agree that product accessibility via mobile devices is key in today’s learning environment. While it is correct that the product does not have an offline app, the site is fully mobile responsive and adapts the user interface based on the device the user is viewing the site from, including laptop/PC, tablet, or mobile device. The videos can be viewed from all devices, as long as the device is connected to the internet.