As a licensed physical therapist and Assistant Professor of Anatomy, Dr. Austin Alexander teaches anatomy and physiology at both Hardin-Simmons University and Abilene Christian University in Texas. His passion lies in preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals, training 70+ students each year in physical therapy, physician associate, and nurse practitioner programs.
The COVID-19 pandemic strengthened Dr. Alexander's commitment to providing the best possible education for future healthcare professionals – he needed to find a solution that could blend hands-on lab experience with enhanced medical software.
Why Austin chooses Vibe
Why Austin chooses Vibe
The challenge: replicate hands-on lab experience
In Texas, undergraduate students face a significant obstacle: they aren't permitted to perform cadaver dissections. This limitation creates a critical gap in anatomy education, as hands-on experience is essential for future healthcare professionals. When COVID-19 further restricted access to labs in 2020, Austin had to answer a pressing question: "When we can't physically be there in the cadaver lab, how can we enhance that learning experience?"
His first attempts with standard software and tablets weren't enough. "Using a computer with a mouse—it's not quite the same experience as actually getting my hands on [the cadaver]," Austin explained. He needed a solution that could truly bridge the gap between virtual and physical learning.
Vibe: blending digital tools with active practice
After months of searching, inspiration struck in an unexpected place. A case study about the tennis coach Ian Westermann using Vibe Board caught Austin's eye – and the solution to his anatomy lab challenge became clear. He immediately envisioned how the same interactive technology could transform his medical training program.
The revelation became even more exciting when he compared costs. His previous grant proposal included specialized equipment priced at $65,000 per unit. Yet with Vibe, he could outfit his entire anatomy lab with 10 smart boards – all for less than the cost of that single piece of equipment. The decision was clear, and within two months, his proposal was ready."It's kind of like, this is what I've been waiting for, this is what I found; the price point makes sense, and it makes sense for education as well," Austin explained.
How Austin uses Vibe in higher education
How Austin uses Vibe in higher education
In Lab
Making virtual dissection as engaging as real thing
Since undergraduate students in Texas aren't permitted to practice cadaver dissection, it was important to Austin to get them as close to that kind of experience as possible. To do this, he records videos of himself dissecting and providing instruction, then he launches the Vibe board's split-screen feature. He then plays the recorded video on one side of the screen while simultaneously bringing up supplemental materials on the other side.
Austin further explained, "I can use a web-based software (like 4D Anatomy) that we have a university license for. I open it up on the Vibe board, and now my students actually have their hands—they're touching it, they're moving it, they're zooming in and out, rotating it, all of that. So it's not the cadaver itself—I don't think there's anything out there that's going to replace cadaver dissection. But partnering the Vibe board and the virtual cadaver dissection is about as close as you can get to the actual, real thing."
In Classroom
Moving beyond traditional lectures to active learning
"Passive lectures are kind of a thing of the past," Austin states firmly. His teaching methodology combines necessary instruction with critical hands-on learning experiences. A typical class might begin with a brief presentation, either pre-recorded or live, followed by engaging interactive assignments.
Students participate in various activities, from analyzing case scenarios to writing directly on the board or completing assignments in the Vibe app. "It's not, 'Here's an assignment, do it and turn it in,'" Austin emphasizes. "It's an active learning process that gets students engaged and gets them actively thinking, not just passively listening to material."
Winning over fellow educators with versatile solutions
In addition to undergraduate and graduate courses, Hardin-Simmons offers certification courses for licensed clinicians to further their anatomy education. One of their recent certificate courses was the perfect opportunity for Austin to present while using the Vibe board. He planned on using student feedback to refine his teaching plans for the next class.
Austin said, “[The clinicians and fellow educators] were all blown away by its versatility. Not just with the ability to incorporate OneDrive and images or videos that I’ve personally taken, but that I can also pull up a web browser and all of fifteen different anatomy resources. I can have it in one space.”
He continued, “I did an hour and a half presentation on the Vibe board, and that was one of the hottest topics of the student evaluation. I think it has a ton of potential and everybody—even the deans that I’ve presented it to—all of them have said, ‘This is one of the most innovative platforms that we can integrate into higher education.’
Austin's favorite features
Austin's favorite features
Unlimited teaching tools in one unified platform
For a fully immersive teaching experience, Austin harnesses Vibe's open ecosystem to seamlessly integrate his essential teaching resources. From core Microsoft tools to web-based cadaver software programs, from learning management systems to interactive student engagement platforms - everything works together in one unified space. This seamless integration of digital resources creates a fluid teaching environment where Austin can focus on what matters most: teaching effectively.
Seamless annotation and sharing flow
For a truly effective teaching experience, Austin uses Vibe's annotation and sharing capabilities to enhance every lecture. From real-time PowerPoint markups to instant material distribution, from collaborative notes to immediate student access - everything flows naturally in one continuous teaching process. This seamless integration of annotation and sharing creates an engaging learning environment where Austin can focus on what matters most: student comprehension.
Simple to learn, ready to use
"This is something that can be used in chemistry, in math—really in any department ,Our online education team came in and looked at it and were like, ‘Oh, I want one of these for our office.’” Austin notes. Even faculty members who aren't tech-savvy quickly become comfortable with Vibe.
The biggest, number-one benefit is it’s versatile for really any program… I mean, it’s like the sky’s the limit. You can really use it for anything.
Shaping the future of medical education
Shaping the future of medical education
The HSU physical therapy department's success with Vibe has sparked a bigger vision. Austin is now developing a fully functioning undergraduate virtual anatomy lab, setting new standards for medical education.
His vision is backed by research. "Research has found if undergraduate students don't take three semesters of anatomy education with cadaver dissection, in medical students, there's not a significant difference in grades from students that performed dissection to students that had zero anatomy experience," he explains. This insight led to his conclusion: "We need to revamp. We need to do things differently at the undergraduate level."
Through Vibe, Austin is turning this challenge into an opportunity. By bridging traditional and digital learning, he's creating a more engaging, accessible, and effective way to prepare future healthcare professionals.
I’ve already recommended it to some other universities, and I’ve demonstrated it to almost every program at our university.
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“It’s enabled me to communicate in more ways, and more interesting ways. Vibe has made it easy to differentiate yourself in some kind of way.”
Dr. Austin AlexanderProfessor | Hardin-Simmons University
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“It’s enabled me to communicate in more ways, and more interesting ways. Vibe has made it easy to differentiate yourself in some kind of way.”
Dr. Austin AlexanderProfessor | Hardin-Simmons University
In Classroom
The biggest, number-one benefit is it’s versatile for really any program… I mean, it’s like the sky’s the limit. You can really use it for anything.
“It’s enabled me to communicate in more ways, and more interesting ways. Vibe has made it easy to differentiate yourself in some kind of way.”
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