Immersive learning in medical education: analyzing behavioral insights to shape the future of VR-based courses
Abstract Background The emergence of virtual reality (VR) for medical education enables a range of new teaching opportunities. Skills and competences can be trained that cannot be demonstrated in any other way due to physical or ethical limitations. Immersion and presence may play an important role...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2024-12-01
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| Series: | BMC Medical Education |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-06337-7 |
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| author | Anna Junga Henriette Schulze Sönke Scherzer Ole Hätscher Philipp Bozdere Paul Schmidle Benjamin Risse Bernhard Marschall the medical tr.AI.ning consortium |
| author_facet | Anna Junga Henriette Schulze Sönke Scherzer Ole Hätscher Philipp Bozdere Paul Schmidle Benjamin Risse Bernhard Marschall the medical tr.AI.ning consortium |
| author_sort | Anna Junga |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The emergence of virtual reality (VR) for medical education enables a range of new teaching opportunities. Skills and competences can be trained that cannot be demonstrated in any other way due to physical or ethical limitations. Immersion and presence may play an important role for learning in this context. This study investigates whether this VR-based, immersive software is an effective tool for assessing medical learning objectives by comparing behavioral outcomes in VR and actor-based simulations, and examines how these behaviors relate to immersion levels and their impact on learning success. Methods To evaluate the effectiveness of the new teaching method, objective behavioral outcomes were identified as part of a dermatological learning unit and VR as a method was compared with actor-based simulation training. In addition, subjective questionnaires were collected to compare the levels of immersion in both concepts. Results It was shown that primary learning objectives can be addressed well in VR. However, secondary learning objectives that fall into the field of basic skills seem to be delivered better in the actor-based training than in VR. This appears to be an effect of weaker immersion measured in VR training. Conclusions It can be said that the implementation of basic skills training depends largely on the level of immersion in the teaching method used. While primary learning subjectives can be trained and assessed well, at present, it does not appear to be fully possible to train secondary skills with the technical status quo in VR. However, the observation of secondary learning objectives can serve as an indicator for the assessment of immersion in the future. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-dbc6bd96684d47cbb279738f9da4fa5d |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1472-6920 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Medical Education |
| spelling | doaj-art-dbc6bd96684d47cbb279738f9da4fa5d2025-08-20T02:30:59ZengBMCBMC Medical Education1472-69202024-12-0124111210.1186/s12909-024-06337-7Immersive learning in medical education: analyzing behavioral insights to shape the future of VR-based coursesAnna Junga0Henriette Schulze1Sönke Scherzer2Ole Hätscher3Philipp Bozdere4Paul Schmidle5Benjamin Risse6Bernhard Marschall7the medical tr.AI.ning consortiumInstitute of Education and Student Affairs, University of MünsterInstitute of Education and Student Affairs, University of MünsterInstitute of Education and Student Affairs, University of MünsterInstitute of Education and Student Affairs, University of MünsterInstitute for Society and Digital Media, Münster University of Applied SciencesDepartment of Dermatology, Medical Faculty, University of MünsterInstitute for Geoinformatics, University of MünsterInstitute of Education and Student Affairs, University of MünsterAbstract Background The emergence of virtual reality (VR) for medical education enables a range of new teaching opportunities. Skills and competences can be trained that cannot be demonstrated in any other way due to physical or ethical limitations. Immersion and presence may play an important role for learning in this context. This study investigates whether this VR-based, immersive software is an effective tool for assessing medical learning objectives by comparing behavioral outcomes in VR and actor-based simulations, and examines how these behaviors relate to immersion levels and their impact on learning success. Methods To evaluate the effectiveness of the new teaching method, objective behavioral outcomes were identified as part of a dermatological learning unit and VR as a method was compared with actor-based simulation training. In addition, subjective questionnaires were collected to compare the levels of immersion in both concepts. Results It was shown that primary learning objectives can be addressed well in VR. However, secondary learning objectives that fall into the field of basic skills seem to be delivered better in the actor-based training than in VR. This appears to be an effect of weaker immersion measured in VR training. Conclusions It can be said that the implementation of basic skills training depends largely on the level of immersion in the teaching method used. While primary learning subjectives can be trained and assessed well, at present, it does not appear to be fully possible to train secondary skills with the technical status quo in VR. However, the observation of secondary learning objectives can serve as an indicator for the assessment of immersion in the future.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-06337-7Computer simulationEducationMedicalImmersionHygieneVirtual reality |
| spellingShingle | Anna Junga Henriette Schulze Sönke Scherzer Ole Hätscher Philipp Bozdere Paul Schmidle Benjamin Risse Bernhard Marschall the medical tr.AI.ning consortium Immersive learning in medical education: analyzing behavioral insights to shape the future of VR-based courses BMC Medical Education Computer simulation Education Medical Immersion Hygiene Virtual reality |
| title | Immersive learning in medical education: analyzing behavioral insights to shape the future of VR-based courses |
| title_full | Immersive learning in medical education: analyzing behavioral insights to shape the future of VR-based courses |
| title_fullStr | Immersive learning in medical education: analyzing behavioral insights to shape the future of VR-based courses |
| title_full_unstemmed | Immersive learning in medical education: analyzing behavioral insights to shape the future of VR-based courses |
| title_short | Immersive learning in medical education: analyzing behavioral insights to shape the future of VR-based courses |
| title_sort | immersive learning in medical education analyzing behavioral insights to shape the future of vr based courses |
| topic | Computer simulation Education Medical Immersion Hygiene Virtual reality |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-06337-7 |
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