Abstract
BackgroundKnowledge of anatomy and pathology of the spine together with spinal deformities is integral to several healthcare disciplines. This knowledge is crucial for graduates for assessment and management of patients with spinal problems. Physiotherapy students generally find it difficult to conceptualise the integrity of the structure and function of the spine that affects their acquisition of related physiotherapy skills.ObjectiveOur first objective was to introduce and evaluate the use of a Vision-Based Augmented Reality (VBAR) mobile application to teach students the anatomy and accessory movements of the spine. A further objective was to explore student experiences of and engagement with VBAR by conducting a post-lecture survey comparing VBAR to traditional teaching.MethodsThis post-intervention crossover design study included two groups: final year physiotherapy students (n = 74) and mean age of 23 (±1.8). The computing department at Teesside University developed the VBAR mobile application. Moreover, a survey adapted from a previously published article was disseminated to students to evaluate their level of understanding following the use of the VBAR application.ResultsThe results demonstrated that the median questionnaire scores in students’ perceived level of understanding for the VBAR group were significantly higher than for the traditional teaching group (p < 0.05).ConclusionThe results of this post-intervention survey suggest that the integration of VBAR learning activities results in gains relating to students’ understanding of spinal anatomy, function, pathology and deformities. These findings suggest that VBAR could be an additional teaching tool to support student learning.Clinical implicationsGreater understanding is expected to increase the quality of clinical practice.
Highlights
Higher education needs to both acknowledge and embrace the benefits of technologies to enhance the teaching and learning environment and student experience
Students agreed that the main advantage of using Augmented Reality (AR) in spinal anatomy and pathology was the possibility of interacting with a virtual 3D spine structure instead of imagining the final structure through two-dimensional paper-based figures and pictures
The results of our post-intervention survey suggest that the integration of Vision-Based Augmented Reality (VBAR) learning activities results in a number of learning gains relating to students’ perceived understanding of spinal anatomy, functions, pathology and deformities
Summary
Higher education needs to both acknowledge and embrace the benefits of technologies to enhance the teaching and learning environment and student experience. The value of mobile learning in higher education is critical for both students and academics on several fronts. It is portable and flexible and provides instant access to information. Knowledge of anatomy and pathology of the spine together with spinal deformities is integral to several healthcare disciplines. This knowledge is crucial for graduates for assessment and management of patients with spinal problems. Physiotherapy students generally find it difficult to conceptualise the integrity of the structure and function of the spine that affects their acquisition of related physiotherapy skills
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