Abstract
This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Background - There is a demand for new and efficient tools to teach anatomical sciences. Rapid developments in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) mean educational use of the technology is becoming increasingly viable. However, uptake of this technology in anatomy teaching is still limited. This brief review aims to examine the effectiveness of VR/AR in anatomy teaching and includes evaluation of: head mounted devices (HMDs), stereoscopic projectors and screens, AR Magic Mirrors and AR Magic Books. Methods - PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar were searched for relevant articles from 2013 to 29 th June 2018. Results - Students' academic performance was equal to or better than control methods for all four types of technology. All studies found high levels of student satisfaction for VR/AR teaching methods. Discussion - Various confounding factors and the large heterogeneity between studies are likely to have a major impact on results. Further research into the depth and longevity of learning in the different teaching methods, as well as their cost-effectiveness, would be beneficial for prospective institutions.
Highlights
In recent years, there has been growing interest in the use of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in anatomy education
Adverse side effects were measured using a questionnaire in one study, and they found the VR group using head-mounted devices (HMDs) experienced higher levels of side effects including significantly more dizziness, blurred vision and general discomfort - than the AR tablet or tablet groups (Moro et al, 2017)
Studies indicate that VR and AR are effective and capable resources for anatomy teaching in terms of both academic achievement and student satisfaction, supporting the use of VR and AR as supplements to current teaching methods
Summary
There has been growing interest in the use of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in anatomy education. This follows a decline in overall anatomy teaching time, as well as reductions in cadaver-based teaching and available laboratory hours (Drake et al, 2009). This decline in cadaver usage has created a demand for new and efficient tools to teach anatomical relationships. Immersive and interactive 3D models can be displayed to students using VR/AR technologies. Models can be displayed on an individual basis through devices including mobiles, desktops and head-mounted devices (HMDs), and to wider audiences with stereoscopic projectors and screen-based AR systems
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