1. Home
  2. Peer Review: Zygotebody

Peer Review

Zygotebody

Reviewed:
Mar 1, 2020 by Biology
Bookmark

Ratings

Overall Rating: 4.0 stars
Content Quality: 4.2 stars
Effectiveness: 4.0 stars
Ease of Use: 3.5 stars
Overview:

This is a 3D model of the human body available for free or for subscription. The free version provides a reasonably useful resource for learning the basic structure studied in a typical human biology or human anatomy class.

Type of Material:

Tutorial, 3D model

Recommended Uses:

In class demonstration, homework, lecture supplement

Technical Requirements:

Java, Flash, other plugins as needed

Identify Major Learning Goals:

Users of this resource will learn, through 3D animation, the anatomy of the human body.

Target Student Population:

The target student population could include Middle School and High School, as well as College Courses, especially Anatomy and Physiology Courses.

Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:

There are no prerequisites for this site, although some knowledge of biology and anatomy terms will help in understanding what is presented.

Content Quality

Rating:
Strengths:
  • The 3-D models that are available for free medically accurate rendition of human anatomy
  • Images beautiful and very colorful • Interactivity keeps users interested in the material
  • The content is well organized for the human systems addressed
  • Quality of graphics is good and provides enough detail for this level of understanding
  • Current and relevant, and support the learning preferences of anyone attuned to social media
  • The resource is self-contained and portable, and the format is accessible with many mobile devices
Concerns:
  • This is a subscription only site although there is a free version and a free 14-day trial period
  • There is some learning curve to cross for users who may not be attuned to multimedia

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:
Strengths:
  • The pedagogy of providing information is a nice blend of learning and interactivity
  • Information provided helps students understand the relatedness of the structures they are learning
  • This site makes learning exciting and fun especially for learners who are electronic game enthusiasts
  • Material builds upon knowledge in multiple ways depending on how users navigate through the site
  • For premium subscription , sample questions (and answers) are provided at the end of sections
Concerns:
  • Although visually appealing and medically accurate, the pointers that label the structures are often off and may cause some confusion
  • Users need to purchase the premium subscription to access sample questions and have full use of this site
  •  

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:
Strengths:
  • Site is fast and intuitive for as long as one has the right plugin • Animation flows very easily
  • Visually appealing
  • Narrations and animations played simultaneously without problems
Concerns:
  • The best and most relevant functionalities are only accessible with the paid subscription
Other Issues and Comments:

This is a great site and would be wonderful if all aspects of the learning material could be made available to the public without having to pay a fee.

Creative Commons:
creative-commonscreative-commons by