Sultan Qaboos University (SQU)  is committed to supporting researchers by providing necessary resources to attend local and international conferences. Such events are a vital opportunity to build networks of relationships and enhance international collaboration in various fields of research and development. In this regard, Dr. Mickael Antoine Joseph – College of Nursing – presented a paper entitled, “Instagram Reels Improve Students' Knowledge, Motivation, Perception, and Satisfaction with Anatomy and Physiology”, at a meeting of the British Anatomical Society.

The paper aimed to assess the effectiveness of Instagram Reels on knowledge

acquisition of anatomy and physiology as these are core medical science courses that require a deep understanding of the tissues, organs and vital systems making up the human body.

The results indicated that Generation Z students are digitally oriented because they grew up after the year 2000 when technologies were rapidly evolving. Thus, teaching Generation Z students with traditional methods is not optimal. Most current university educators belong to Generation X, having been born between 1965 and 1985. These university educators need to consider the age gap that exists between them and their students when selecting among different teaching methods. Therefore, it is vital to maximise knowledge acquisition and retention in groups of students, especially those seeking to become healthcare professionals.

The researcher suggested using new teaching strategies in the classroom that incorporate

technologies appealing to Generation Z students. These strategies can improve Generation Z students’ knowledge acquisition and enhance their motivation towards, and satisfaction with, learning. Social media, which permit users to create and exchange photos, videos and other content, are among the newest technologies heavily used by Millennials and Generation Z. They are well suited for use as educational platforms as they provide an online network for students to collaborate by sharing and having a dialogue related to their experiences, doubts and questions.

The results indicated that creating a one-minute Reel about a different muscle of the human body significantly improved knowledge acquisition in nursing students studying the anatomy of human muscles. Furthermore, a majority of participants reported high levels of learning motivation, found Instagram Reels to be highly useful, and expressed satisfaction with its use.

It is worth mentioning that Instagram Reels allow users to create and share short video clips that last for 15 to 60 seconds or more. Through this feature, teachers and academics in educational institutions can benefit from the visual interaction of video and social communication to convey educational concepts in a more effective and attractive way. In addition, it is a social tool that allows people to share short videos and visual content with their followers.