From the Laboratory to the Classroom: The Effects of Equivalence-Based Instruction on Neuroanatomy Competencies

Equivalence-based instruction (EBI) has been used to successfully teach college-level concepts in research laboratories, but few studies have examined the results of such instruction on classroom performance. The current study answered a basic question about the ordering of training stimuli as well as an applied question regarding the effects of EBI on classroom performance. Students recruited from a Behavioral Neuroscience course learned neuroanatomy concepts using EBI. Outcomes revealed that the ordering of stimuli did not differentially affect performance and that students who completed the tutorial scored significantly higher on the course’s final examination than did students who had not completed the tutorial. Implications for future classroom applications are discussed.