Accessibility and Educational Standards in Human Osteology through Digital Learning Practices

Abstract

This article explores the growing use of digital tools in teaching human osteology, highlighting the need for standardized educational practices in biological anthropology and proposing ways to enhance accessibility and ethical guidelines through digital pedagogy. Digital tools are becoming more prominent in the teaching and education of human skeletal remains. Currently, no standards exist regarding educational practices utilizing digital pedagogical tools in biological anthropology. To better understand current practices of digital pedagogy for human osteology, a survey was distributed to professionals and students in biological anthropology inquiring about teaching methods in osteology-related courses. The goal of this survey was to gauge current applications of digital osteological pedagogy to serve as a foundation to initiate conversations around standard digital education in biological anthropology. The results indicate that, while most educators have access to physical remains, almost half of the survey participants incorporate digital tools in teaching. Additionally, we found that respondents almost unanimously believe digital tools should be included in our educational practices and that digital learning can improve accessibility to education. Incorporating pedagogical theories and current virtual anthropology research, we propose ways to move education and training in biological anthropology forward through digital pedagogical tools, training, and collections while promoting both standard educational and ethical practices.