An Ohio University professor took his passion for anatomy online, reaching millions of science enthusiasts across the globe.
Ian Klein, associate professor of instruction, has 125,500 followers on TikTok, 90,500 followers on Instagram and nearly 5,000 subscribers on YouTube. The OU graduate said he filmed his first video in 2018 after a student asked him to film a class presentation.
“I was a year or two into teaching the nursing anatomy and physiology labs, and in nursing there are 400 plus students,” Klein said. “I was teaching 10 of the lab sections and I would give the same presentation 30 times on one model … I realized, what if I made that available on YouTube for students to watch … and they loved it.”
From the moment he hit upload, Klein said he knew creating videos was going to be an exhilarating hobby, but also beneficial for students who may not understand class material or have access to anatomy models.
“They would watch videos before class, and I felt like they were more prepared,” Klein said. “I’ve essentially cloned myself hundreds of times to teach what I want to teach, but through video form.”
Although online learning can pose negatives, including a lack of emotional connection to the subject matter, the National Library of Medicine states online anatomy classes or videos can “make the subject matter more engaging” and accessible to students. In-person and online lectures can work hand in hand by allowing busier students to utilize “materials from any location” if they cannot attend class in person.
In one of Klein’s most popular YouTube videos, “Sarcomere Model,” he details each component of the sarcomere, the smallest functional unit of a muscle, and discusses definitions.
“What a great model of sarcomere,” one viewer commented. “Finally I know all these bands and zones of sarcomere. Thanks a lot!”
Klein said his videos reached a larger audience in 2021. His “jump” to different platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram, not only increased viewership but also led to a demand for more videos.
In light of the fame, Klein trained social media teaching assistants for video production.
“This is largely a student effort today,” Klein said. “It started with me, but if you look at the channels, it's about three-fourths of students making and posting videos.”
Olivia Bartley, a senior studying biological sciences, said she never expected to become a teaching assistant, but Klein inspired her. She worked alongside the professor during her sophomore year.
“Before taking anatomy, I knew it was going to be a difficult course, and I honestly wasn’t looking forward to taking it,” Bartley said. “I think his excitement for the things he was teaching us made everyone else excited or look forward to coming to anatomy class. I love anatomy now because of him and how he taught us.”
As a social media TA, Bartley said her tasks included creating videos, responding to thousands of comments and educating viewers.
“We would take the models or even draw on a whiteboard to talk through what we were going through that day,” Bartley said. “We would post those videos and hopefully reach some people who were needing it.”
As the videos began to reach millions, Klein said they generated $2,000 in revenue. With the revenue, Klein’s social media TAs no longer just record videos, but form connections with Athens’ teachers and students.
“When we got to the level of making revenue, we decided it would be really cool to buy anatomy models and donate them to high schools,” Klein said. “I was blown away that high schools often don’t have one or two models at all.”
Klein said he and students traveled to Federal Hocking High School, Meigs High School and Warren High School to donate 3D heart models, hand models and other body parts.
Josie Vallette, a junior studying exercise physiology, was a social media TA last fall and donated to Federal Hocking in the spring.
“All they had in their anatomy room was posters,” Vallette said. “The teacher was really surprised and shocked that we had all of these anatomy models for him.”
The cost of an anatomy model, Klein said, can range depending on its size, shape and quality. Anatomy Warehouse sells models and additional classroom materials for up to several thousand dollars. Some models on Amazon start at $23.99.
“Being in Southeast Ohio and some of the poorer counties in Ohio has really opened my eyes,” Klein said.
Federal Hocking’s local school district houses nearly 8,400 individuals, with 8.4% falling below the poverty line, Census Reporter stated in 2023.
“There is no way they can obtain anatomy models through their school budget,” Klein said. “It is really difficult for them to get basic supplies, and really cool, expensive anatomy models are not really on their lists … so to be able to do that is such a blessing to us, and they're certainly appreciative of it.”
Students struggling in anatomy or looking to review materials outside the classroom do not have to search far for a helpful video. From quizzes to model descriptions and fun facts, Klein and his students hit the record button and inspire education.
“I thought it was really cool that Klein was able to bring in a new style of teaching,” Bartley said. “So many people already use TikTok and Instagram and all of those different media … it’s not just a teacher, but it is our peers going on and teaching us content as well.”
