P oceedings om he
In e na ional Con e ence on
O ganKi s
3
BOOST EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
CONTENT
1. O ganKi s, in eg a ing Plas ina ed Specimens in STEAM Educa ion ...................................... 4
2. O ganki s o In e disciplina y Lea ning ..................................................................................... 5
3. The O ganKi s Educa ional Model ............................................................................................. 6
4. Implemen a ion and E alua ion o he O ganki s Educa ional Model ................................. 7
5. E alua ion o he O ganki s P ojec : Resul s om Two Implemen a ion Cycles ................... 8
6. Plas ina ion a he co e o he O ganki s P ojec ..................................................................... 9
7. O ganki s in Biology and Physical Educa ion: a b eak h ough in seconda y educa ion......10
8. Lea ning Th ough O gans: Pla on School's Expe ience Implemen ing O ganKi s in STEAM
Educa ion.............................................................................................................................................11
9. “O gan Ki s o STEAM” – An in eg a ed app oach o scien i ic educa ion ....................... 12
10. Pa e ns o Li e, Explo ing Ma hema ical Ha mony Ac oss Human O gans...........................13
11. Building Awa eness and Engagemen : The O ganKi s P ojec 's Communica ion and
Dissemina ion Ou comes .................................................................................................................. 14
12. O ganki s Implemen a ion a IES Ingenie o de la Cie a ................................................. 15
13. O ganki s in Science Museums: A Case S udy in Mu cia ................................................. 16
14. O ganki s a MUDIC Jesús Ca nice .................................................................................... 17
4
BOOST EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
1. O ganKi s, in eg a ing Plas ina ed Specimens in STEAM
Educa ion
Oc a io López Albo s
P ojec Coo dina o , Full p o esso o Ana omy & Compa a i e Pa hology,
Uni e si y o Mu cia, 30100 Mu cia, Spain
This E asmus+ p ojec (2022–2025) in oduces plas ina ed ana omical specimens in o
seconda y educa ion o he i s ime wi hin a STEAM amewo k. I alida es a new
educa ional model based on p ojec -based lea ning (PBL), aimed a p omo ing
scien i ic cu iosi y, in e disciplina y in eg a ion, and meaning ul lea ning. The model
explici ly inco po a es he EU Key Compe ences and con ibu es o awa eness o he
Sus ainable De elopmen Goals (SDGs), while add essing h ee ans e sal p io i ies:
inclusion, en i onmen al sus ainabili y, and use o digi al ools.
The p ojec is s uc u ed a ound six hema ic O ganKi s — Ca dioHeal h & Emo ions,
NeumoHeal h & En i onmen , Nu iHeal h & Wellness, Men alHeal h & Mind ulness,
Spo sHeal h & Dependence, and Rep oHeal h & Gende —, each combining
plas ina ed specimens wi h heal h ela ed and socially ele an opics. Each ki
includes a se o plas ina ed specimens, plus eache and educa ional guides, wi h
mul ilingual lea ning ma e ials, enabling c oss-cu icula ac i i ies h ough PBL
s a egies. To da e, all he ki s ha e been p oduced and implemen ed in pa ne
schools, “associa ed” schools and some science museums.
Analysis o implemen a ion da a shows high s uden sa is ac ion, enhanced
engagemen , and inc eased mo i a ion. Teache s epo ha O ganKi s e ec i ely
suppo he in eg a ion o heal h- ela ed con en and acili a e dynamic lea ning
en i onmen s. Thei success ul use in in o mal educa ional spaces such as museums,
u he con i ms hei scalabili y.
The O ganKi s Educa ional Model is an inno a i e, eplicable model ha me ges
ana omical science wi h s uden -cen ed, p ojec -based lea ning aligned wi h
Eu opean educa ional alues.
5
BOOST EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
2. O ganki s o In e disciplina y Lea ning
Oc a io López Albo s
P ojec coo dina o , Full p o esso o Ana omy & Compa a i e
Pa hology,Uni e si y o Mu cia, 30100 Mu cia, Spain
The O ganki s p ojec in eg a es plas ina ed ana omical specimens in o a c oss-
disciplina y educa ional amewo k o os e STEAM-based lea ning in seconda y
educa ion. Each O ganki se es as a hema ic pla o m o inqui y, expe imen a ion,
and e lec ion ac oss biological, a is ic, echnological, and social dimensions.
The Ca dioHeal h ki goes beyond ca diac ana omy o encou age s uden s o
engage in ac i i ies in ol ing ci cula ion models, explo ing hea unc ion
mechanically and me apho ically. I links physiology wi h li e a u e, music, and a
h ough he symbolic meaning o he hea .
NeumoHeal h enables a deepe unde s anding o lung unc ion and espi a o y
heal h. Using models and analogies such as wa e il a ion, s uden s obse e gas
exchange and analyze how b ea hing is egula ed in music, spo s, and physical
ac i i y. I also in oduces en i onmen al ac o s and he ac al na u e o b onchial
pa e ns.
Nu iHeal h ocuses on diges i e sys em mo phology and clinical diagnos ic ools like
basic endoscopy. I inco po a es digi al heal h moni o ing, calo ic in ake acking,
and a is ic explo a ion o s imula e discussions a ound nu i ion and wellness.
Men alHeal h in i es ana omical explo a ion o he b ain, connec ing i s s uc u e wi h
ma hema ical pa e ns and he logic o a i icial in elligence. I inco po a es
diagnos ic ools such as MRI and p omo es mind ulness and yoga o in es iga e he
impac o men al aining on well-being.
Rep oHeal h p o ides a pla o m o analyzing ep oduc i e ana omy and gende
ep esen a ion. I suppo s da a-d i en inqui y in o demog aphic ends, explo es
gende h ough a is ic and echnological lenses (e.g., 3D p in ing), and encou ages
c i ical discussions on gende oles and ep oduc i e heal h.
Finally, Spo sHeal h emphasizes biomechanical p inciples and mo emen analysis. I
explo es human ana omy h ough p ac ical applica ions such as join mechanics,
o ce dis ibu ion, and ehabili a ion, os e ing awa eness o aging, inju y, and ca e.
Toge he , hese ki s o e a angible and inclusi e way o explo e human biology while
in eg a ing digi al ools, social e lec ion, and c ea i e hinking.
6
BOOST EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
3. The O ganKi s Educa ional Model
Resea ch G oup in Educa ional Technology (Uni e si y o Mu cia)
h ps://po alin es igacion.um.es/g upos/32136/de alle
The O ganKi s Educa ional Model is an inno a i e pedagogical p oposal ha
in eg a es STEAM me hodology and P ojec -Based Lea ning (PBL) wi h plas ina ed
ana omical esou ces o os e s uden engagemen and enhance science lea ning
in seconda y educa ion. The model is g ounded in he design, de elopmen , and
e alua ion o speci ic educa ional esou ces, applying a Design-Based Resea ch
(DBR) app oach o assess bo h ma e ials and implemen a ion p ocesses.
O ganKi s Educa ional Model Assessmen
To assess he model (based on P ojec Based Lea ning me hod) we ha e used he
esea ch me hod DBL (Design Based Resea ch) wi h wo cycles o implemen a ion. So
he implemen a ion o esou ces was ca ied ou in wo phases be ween No embe
2023 and Feb ua y 2025, in ol ing seconda y schools in Spain, I aly, G eece, and
Tu key. The i s phase began wi h he collec ion o da a on s uden s’ ini ial mo i a ion
and in e es in science subjec s, ollowed by he implemen a ion o lea ning uni s using
plas ina ed o gan b ie cases. Pos -in e en ion da a was collec ed om bo h s uden s
and eache s o assess mo i a ion changes and pe cep ions o he ma e ials used.
The second phase, conduc ed wi h no p io mo i a ion assessmen , ocused on pos -
in e en ion eedback o alida e he model’s consis ency and scalabili y.
Key indings om he wo phases highligh a signi ican inc ease in s uden mo i a ion,
pa icula ly due o he engaging na u e o he b ie cases and he hands-on
expe ience o in e ac ing wi h eal ana omical specimens. Teache s also epo ed
high sa is ac ion wi h bo h he b ie cases and he accompanying educa ional guides,
no ing imp o emen s in s uden unde s anding and class oom dynamics.
O e all, he O ganKi s model demons a es he po en ial o combining angible
scien i ic esou ces wi h PBL s a egies o c ea e mo e meaning ul and enjoyable
lea ning expe iences. I o e s a eplicable and scalable app oach o in eg a ing
inno a i e educa ional ools in o science cu icula, suppo ing bo h s uden
mo i a ion and eache engagemen . These esul s posi ion O ganKi s as a p omising
model o science educa ion inno a ion a he Eu opean le el.
7
BOOST EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
4. Implemen a ion and E alua ion o he O ganki s
Educa ional Model
Resea ch G oup in Educa ional Technology (Uni e si y o Mu cia)
h ps://po alin es igacion.um.es/g upos/32136/de alle
The O ganki s p ojec in oduces a STEAM-based educa ional model using plas ina ed
ana omical specimens o p omo e p ojec -based lea ning (PBL) in seconda y schools.
The ini ia i e in eg a es educa ional ki s (‘b ie cases’), ana omical a lases, online
esou ces, and s uc u ed guides o eache s, all designed o os e in e disciplina y
lea ning h ough hands-on expe iences.
The implemen a ion s a egy ollowed a Design-Based Resea ch (DBR) app oach,
assessing bo h he design and educa ional impac o he esou ces. Teache s we e
ained in planning e ec i e PBL ac i i ies: de ining ele an objec i es, se ing clea
ques ions, s aging p ojec miles ones, and in eg a ing plas ina ed o gans in o c oss-
disciplina y scena ios. The e alua ion amewo k included ques ionnai es o bo h
s uden s and eache s, ansla ed in o English, Spanish, G eek, Tu kish, and I alian.
Resul s om he i s implemen a ion showed high le els o in insic mo i a ion among
s uden s, who ound he lea ning p ocess enjoyable and meaning ul. Teache s
exp essed s ong sa is ac ion wi h he ki s and eaching ma e ials. In he second
implemen a ion, s uden s pa icula ly highligh ed he exci emen o manipula ing eal
plas ina ed o gans, which helped hem unde s and complex concep s mo e
e ec i ely.
Ac i i ies co e ed six co e hemes: Ca dio (hea dissec ion, blood ci cula ion), Men al
(b ain ana omy and AI discussions), Neumo (b onchoscopy simula ion), Nu i
(diges i e sys em and ood habi s), Rep o (compa a i e ana omy), and Spo s
(musculoskele al analysis). The mos equen ly used ki s we e hose ocusing on
ca dio ascula , neu ological, and espi a o y sys ems.
Teache s ecommended expanding he numbe o ki s o enable g oup wo k,
alloca ing mo e ime o concen a ion-hea y asks, and inco po a ing addi ional
digi al ools. O e all, O ganki s p o ed o be an engaging and e ec i e esou ce o
p omo ing s uden -cen e ed science educa ion.
8
BOOST EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
5. E alua ion o he O ganki s P ojec : Resul s om Two
Implemen a ion Cycles
Resea ch G oup in Educa ional Technology (Uni e si y o Mu cia)
h ps://po alin es igacion.um.es/g upos/32136/de alle
The O ganki s p ojec has unde gone wo implemen a ion cycles aimed a assessing
he impac o plas ina ed ana omical specimens and associa ed educa ional
ma e ials on seconda y school science educa ion. The e alua ion used
ques ionnai es o bo h eache s and s uden s, ansla ed in o i e languages, and
ocused on mo i a ion, usabili y, and lea ning ou comes.
In he i s cycle, signi ican gains we e eco ded in in insic s uden mo i a ion.
S uden s epo ed ha lea ning was mo e enjoyable, and eache s exp essed high
sa is ac ion wi h bo h he plas ina ed ki s and he accompanying educa ional guides.
The second cycle con i med hese ends: s uden s emphasized he un, hands-on
na u e o wo king wi h plas ina ed o gans, which acili a ed deepe unde s anding o
ana omy.
Teache s epo ed equen use o he ki s, wi h some cases being used mo e han i e
imes. Mos used we e he Ca dio, Men al, and Neumo ki s. Ac i i ies included
dissec ions, ana omical modeling, ideos, and in e ac i e simula ions. Posi i e
ou comes included imp o ed a en ion, s uden engagemen , and concep ual
unde s anding o how o gan sys ems wo k.
Bo h s uden s and eache s alued he ealism and accessibili y o he plas ina ed
o gans. Sugges ions o imp o emen included adding mo e ki s o enable g oup
wo k, ex ending ime o complex ac i i ies, and in eg a ing mo e digi al esou ces.
Speci ic ideas included he addi ion o desc ip i e ca ds wi h ana omical e e ences
and compa a i e specimens (e.g., heal hy s. diseased lungs).
O e all, he use o O ganki s signi ican ly enhanced science educa ion by making
lea ning mo e in e ac i e and meaning ul. The ini ia i e was widely ega ded as
e ec i e in inc easing mo i a ion, acili a ing comp ehension, and p omo ing ac i e
pa icipa ion in he class oom.
9
BOOST EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
6. Plas ina ion a he co e o he O ganki s P ojec
DISCOVER-IN eam (www.disco e -in.com)
Complejo Pleiades-Vi alis, Campus de Espina do. 30100, Mu cia, Spain
Plas ina ion is an ana omical p ese a ion echnique de eloped by Gun he on
Hagens in 1977. I in ol es he eplacemen o bodily luids (wa e and lipids) wi h
polyme s such as silicone, epoxy, o polyes e esins, esul ing in d y, odo less, du able
specimens ha main ain he o iginal ana omical s uc u e. This p ocess enables sa e,
long-las ing manipula ion and di ec educa ional use.
The echnique consis s o i e key s ages: ixa ion wi h o maldehyde o p e en
decomposi ion; dissec ion o emo e connec i e issue and highligh ele an
s uc u es; dehyd a ion in ace one o elimina e wa e and a s; acuum polyme
imp egna ion; and polyme cu ing ia gas, hea , o UV ligh . These s anda dized
p ocedu es p ese e issues in li elike condi ion.
Wi hin he E asmus+ O ganki s p ojec , Disco e -IN was esponsible o plas ina ing all
o gans and assembling he educa ional b ie cases. A o al o 432 plas ina ed
specimens we e p oduced and 96 ki s dis ibu ed ac oss ou pa ne schools: IES
Miguel de Ce an es (Spain), IS Duca Ab uzzi (I aly), Pla on School (G eece), and
Bahçesehi College (Tu key).
Each O ganKi was ailo ed o a speci ic heal h- ela ed educa ional heme:
Ca dioheal h (pig hea s), Men alheal h (cow b ains), Neumoheal h (o ine lungs),
Nu iheal h (pig s omachs and in es ines), Spo sheal h (cow elbow, o ine leg and
s i le join s), and Rep oheal h (o ine es icles, o a ies, and ep oduc i e ac s).
P oduc ion ollowed s ic s anda d ope a ing p ocedu es (SOPs), ensu ing consis en
quali y con ol. Final p oduc s we e alida ed h ough a checklis based on
ana omical landma ks. These plas ina ed specimens a e now used in class ooms,
museums, and science ou each, b idging academic p ecision wi h accessible
educa ional esou ces.
16
BOOST EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
13. O ganki s in Science Museums: A Case S udy in
Mu cia
Ped o J. Fe nández
Museo de la Ciencia y el Agua, Plaza de la Ciencia, 1, 30002 Mu cia, Spain
The O ganki s ini ia i e has been success ully implemen ed a he Science and Wa e
Museum (Museo de la Ciencia y el Agua) in Mu cia, Spain, as pa o a empo a y
exhibi ion unning om May o Sep embe 2025. This collabo a ion aims o enhance
science communica ion h ough plas ina ed ana omical specimens in an in o mal
educa ional se ing.
Science museums p o ide an engaging en i onmen ha s imula es cu iosi y and
boos s a en ion. By inco po a ing plas ina ed o gans, he museum o e s a
memo able lea ning expe ience ha suppo s scien i ic hinking and encou ages
s uden s o explo e biology in a hands-on and pa icipa o y way. The li elike na u e o
plas ina es os e s pe sonal e lec ion, deepens unde s anding o ana omy, and
p omo es scien i ic oca ions among seconda y school s uden s.
The exhibi ion aligns wi h se e al Sus ainable De elopmen Goals. I con ibu es o
Quali y Educa ion (SDG 4) by p o iding in e ac i e, ex acu icula lea ning
expe iences. I p omo es Gende Equali y (SDG 5) by ensu ing equal access and
empowe ing gi ls in science. The ini ia i e also add esses Reduced Inequali ies (SDG
10) by o e ing ac ile lea ning oppo uni ies o indi iduals wi h disabili ies, enhancing
accessibili y and inclusion.
Addi ionally, he O ganki s p og am suppo s Sus ainable Ci ies and Communi ies
(SDG 11) by u ilizing public spaces o os e sa e and meaning ul communi y
engagemen . I embodies Pa ne ships o he Goals (SDG 17) h ough collabo a ion
wi h ins i u ions such as he Uni e si y o Mu cia.
O ganki s in science museums ep esen a powe ul model o in o mal STEAM
educa ion. They combine ana omical ealism, play ul lea ning, and social
esponsibili y, making hem an e ec i e ool o inspi ing di e se lea ne s and
p omo ing equi able science educa ion.
17
BOOST EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
14. O ganki s a MUDIC Jesús Ca nice
Juana Isabel Pa es Fe i, Rosa Ma ínez Ma ínez & Ma i Ca men Pe ea Ma cos,
MUDIC Jesús Ca nice (Museo Didác ico e In e ac i o de Ciencias), Ca e e a
de Beniel, Km 3.2 03312 O ihuela (Alican e), Spain
The Didac ic and In e ac i e Science Museum (MUDIC) Jesús Ca nice , is a
pe manen science ou each ounda ion suppo ed by he Ci y Council o O ihuela,
Miguel He nández Uni e si y, and he Hypa ia o Alexand ia Science Teache s
Associa ion. Wi h o e 75 in e ac i e modules, 43 hands-on wo kshops, and mo e han
22,000 s uden isi o s annually, MUDIC plays a cen al ole in p omo ing STEAM
educa ion ac oss he Vega Baja del Segu a egion in he Valencian Communi y.
Wi hin his dynamic amewo k, MUDIC pa ne ed wi h he E asmus+ O ganki s p ojec
o deli e an inno a i e educa ional p og am combining ana omy, heal h educa ion,
and plas ina ed biological specimens. This collabo a ion in ol ed lending
educa ional ki s (“male ines”) and designing hema ic mon hly ac i i ies a ound six
heal h- ocused a eas: Ca dioheal h & Emo ions, Nu iheal h & Wellness, Men alheal h
& Mind ulness, Spo sheal h & Dependence, Neumoheal h & En i onmen , and
Rep oheal h & Gende .
Wo kshops we e o e ed o s uden s, eache s, and he gene al public, wi h one
no able e en being he weekend session i led “Nu i ion, Heal h and Plas ina ion”
held on Feb ua y 5 h. Each mon hly heme in eg a ed plas ina ed o gan specimens
o os e hands-on lea ning and p omo e awa eness o bodily unc ions, heal hy
li es yles, and ana omical unde s anding in an engaging, angible way.
To ex end ou each, he ini ia i e was also ea u ed in local media, including a
dedica ed adio segmen on Onda Ce o, and concluded wi h su eys aimed a
e alua ing s uden and eache pe cep ions o he expe ience.
The MUDIC-O ganki s collabo a ion exempli ies how plas ina ion can se e as a
powe ul educa ional and ou each ool in science museums, o e ing a mul isenso y,
in e disciplina y app oach o lea ning while ein o cing STEAM compe encies and
public scien i ic li e acy.
The “O ganki s” p ojec is co- inanced by he Eu opean Union. The opinions and iews exp essed in his publica ion
a e hose o he au ho (s) and do no necessa ily e lec hose o he Eu opean Union o he Spanish Se ice o he
In e na ionalisa ion o Educa ion (SEPIE). Nei he he Eu opean Union no he SEPIE Na ional Agency can be held
esponsible o hem.
