1 Comment on A Review of Draw It to Know It (DITKI) 596
Emily Alleman, MSI
Research Support Librarian
Rudolph Matas Library of the Health Sciences
Tulane University Libraries
Introduction
Draw It to Know It (DITKI) is an online interactive learning resource used to master anatomy, biochemistry, biology, neuroanatomy, neuroscience, and physiology. Through engaging illustrated tutorials and exercises along with comprehensive examination prep, DITKI is a robust study tool for students and instructors. DITKI first arrived on the market in 2009 as Neuroanatomy: Draw It to Know It (now in its third edition) written by Dr. Adam Fisch and published by Oxford University Press.
DITKI’s purpose is to provide in-depth teaching and study tools for students through engaging, customizable courses. Courses range from high school biology to undergraduate anatomy and physiology to graduate and medical coursework, even clinical medicine via residencies. DITKI features a comprehensive curriculum intended for students attending courses in biological or medical sciences, or those reviewing biomedical subjects.
Content
DITKI content is segmented into courses (Figure 1). DITKI’s courses are broken into six major categories: high school, undergraduate, graduate/medical subjects, integrated systems for the graduate/medical level, exam preparation (USMLE, MCAT, etc.), and medical residencies.
Courses contain learning modules, video tutorials, lectures, drawing highlights, flashcards, exams, study plans, atlases, and more. Courses are segmented into subjects. Each subject expands via a drop-down menu to provide robust tutorial videos and quizzes (Figure 2). Subjects can be saved to the user’s “favorites” for revisiting.
Figure 1. DITKI Clinical Medicine course homepage. Credit: DITKI
Figure 2. DITKI Clinical Medicine’s course subject: “Common Chief Complaints.” Credit: DITKI
DITKI has pre-made study plans for each course depending on users’ needs. For example, those studying for the USMLE can filter their study plans based on the subjects necessary for the test. Flashcards are embedded in each subject. Along with flashcards, a comprehensive examination is available at the end of each subject to review the materials. Relevant courses also feature board preparation quizzes. Each video tutorial is accompanied by an outline of notes about the subject material, references, and a transcript of the video. An additional feature is the drawing pad, which allows users to interact directly with the video content by drawing and labeling. Content created on the drawing pad can be saved as a pdf. DITKI’s drawing pad has templates for users to review materials based on their level of studying.
Content is delivered in a variety of ways. Users engage with video tutorials and lectures. In the segmented videos, users can download PDF outlines of notes and high-resolution photos based on the video topic. DITKI’s video player has several accessibility features. Users have the option of selecting English, Spanish, or German closed captions. The video speed can be changed in intervals of .5. Standard resolution and high-definition resolution options are available. Additionally, each subject features a “Drawing Highlights” section that provides an overview of the subject and a space for users to draw the biomedical topic (Figure 3). Content is also delivered using flashcards, subject exams, and subject starter images, which are high resolution biomedical pictures.
Figure 3: DITKI Drawing Highlight example: “Developmental Bone Anomalies.” Credit: DITKI
Features and Functionality
By and large, DITKI’s most salient feature is the Drawing Pad. The Drawing Pad is web-based and there is no need for users to purchase any additional technology as the pad works on computers, laptops, and tablets with a simple mouse and keyboard. However, a touch screen is recommended for the best functionality. The Drawing Pad is featured in all courses. There are three activities users can engage with: Draw Along with the Video, Complete the Starter Image, or Label the Diagram. Using a laptop trackpad or tablet device with pen, users can draw out biomedical functions. A vocabulary word bank is provided for users with premade labels to identify each function or step of the selected topic. Users can add text boxes, shapes, or images. Anything added to the canvas can be taken away with an eraser tool. Each element added to the Drawing Pad canvas adds a layer and users can hide layers as desired (Figure 4).
Figure 4 – DITKI drawing pad example. Credit: DITKI
DITKI has two search functionalities. The first is a general search located at the top right-hand corner of the page. This search pulls information from all DITKI courses. Depending on the search, DITKI offers results split into sections: question banks, tutorials, lectures, flashcards, and exercises and board highlights. The second search feature is located inside the course. On the course homepage, users can search inside the course index. For example, in the Gross Anatomy course, if users conduct a keyword search for “kidney,” they will find the results in section 10, the urinary system. Federated searching across linked resources is not available.
DITKI includes administrator access for instructors, librarians, and other administrators. The primary feature of this access is the Course Director’s mode. Course Directors can create DITKI classrooms in which instructors can create, edit, and share tutorials using DITKI’s whiteboard. This feature also allows instructors to create and share customizable study plans with their students. Administrator access also provides institutional analytics for instructors to view how often students are engaging with the coursework.
Help features are divided into two categories based on the level of access users have: institutional or individual. DITKI’s help page is located under a user’s account information. It links to a frequently asked questions page with information about account billing, troubleshooting the Drawing Pad, and written tutorials on how to begin a DITKI course.
Business Model
DITKI has two subscriptions models: institutional or individual access. Pricing depends on the number of courses selected. DITKI offers an “all access pass” where an institution can gain access to all courses for one price. Course bundles are also offered. For example, DITKI offers a Medical & Graduate Student bundle that includes all relevant subject matter. Users are charged a monthly price based on the chosen licensing model. For users with administrator access, DITKI has an analytics page that breaks down site usage. Administrator access must be requested.
DITKI offers several licensing options for institutions: classroom, departmental, institutional access, and an “all access pass.” With institutional access, DITKI can design coursework for instructors based on their class syllabus. Moreover, instructors can utilize the DITKI classroom feature to develop their own online course for students. End-users simply register an account with DITKI via their university’s email address to gain access to DITKI. DITKI also offers single sign-on access for institutional access.
Breakthrough
DITKI offers a unique, comprehensive study tool for the biomedical community. It’s outstanding feature is the Drawing Pad, a visual study tool that allows users to follow along with the lesson plan. With its built-in courses and robust study tools, health sciences libraries supporting medical students and those studying in biomedical graduate programs will benefit most from DITKI’s resources. Libraries should consider subscribing to DITKI if they are interested in providing their community with a hands-on, customizable study tool.
Resources Referenced:
DITKI Classroom: https://ditki.com/classroom
DITKI Drawing Pad & Video Player FAQs: https://ditki.com/faq/drawing-pad-video-player
DITKI Frequently Asked Questions (Institutions): https://ditki.com/faq/institutional
DITKI Institutional Licenses: https://ditki.com/pricing/institutions
1 Comment
Love the illustrations and drawings.