154 - Immersive Virtual Reality Improves Understanding of Spatial Relationships and Student Confidence

Poster Board Number: 154
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Odd poster #s – first hour
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Abstract Body : Understanding spatial relationships within the body is critical to the application of anatomy for both diagnostic and educational purposes. Many educational resources for anatomical instruction are limited to two-dimensional representation of these three-dimensional structures. Virtual reality provides the user with a truly immersive and intuitive learning environment that is uniquely poised to help students understand spatial relationships. Here we describe the implementation of this virtual reality tool in a cadaveric dissection course and assess the impact on understanding of spatial relationships.
Human anatomy students across three semesters were randomly divided into three groups, each assigned a study tool for the pelvic floor region. The spatial relationships of pelvic floor musculature are typically challenging for students. With no prior exposure to this anatomy, the groups were given thirty minutes to study with one of the following resources: a two-dimensional anatomy atlas, self-directed use of the virtual cadaver in VR, or self-directed use of the virtual cadaver in VR accompanied by a recorded instructional module. Following the study period, students were asked to complete an assessment which targeted their understanding of spatial relationships between relevant structures. Students that were provided with self-directed study of the virtual cadaver along with the pre-recorded module performed significantly better on the assessment than the group that studied with the two-dimensional anatomy atlas (one way ANOVA, Tukey test p< 0.05). Additionally, students in the group that were provided the virtual cadaver and module reported higher confidence with anatomical content following the study session. Overall students found the virtual learning environment to be a helpful tool in visualizing structures, understanding spatial relationships, and supporting learning.
This study addresses the benefit of an immersive virtual learning environment on spatial understanding of a challenging anatomical region. As demands on gross anatomy education increase, implementation of virtual reality will continue to be a useful tool in anatomy curricula.