Exploring Virtual Reality as a Tool for Enhancing Teaching and Learning Anatomy to Medical Students: A Feasibility and Acceptability Study

IF 1.2 Q4 MEDICINE, RESEARCH & EXPERIMENTAL

Clinical Teacher Pub Date : 2025-09-05 DOI:10.1111/tct.70191

Aifric Walsh, Rory O'Brien, Kevin McGuire, David Power

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Abstract

Background

Virtual reality (VR) provides an immersive, interactive 3D learning environment with increasing use in medical education. It benefits surgical training and, increasingly more so in anatomy education, particularly where access to human body dissection is limited. Although VR can enhance engagement and knowledge retention, concerns remain regarding usability, feasibility and cybersickness. This study explores the acceptability of VR for anatomy learning among medical students with ongoing access to traditional anatomy laboratories.

Approach

A qualitative cross-sectional pilot study was conducted with 38 medical students at the ASSERT Simulation Centre, University College Cork. Participants took part in a guided VR session using human anatomy software. Afterwards, they completed an online survey assessing ease of use, enjoyment, immersion, educational usefulness, interaction, understanding, intention for future use and cybersickness. The survey was adapted from two validated questionnaires. Feature engineering combined related items into eight dimensions for streamlined analysis and visualisation.

Evaluation

Results showed high acceptance and enthusiasm for VR. All participants reported enjoying the experience, finding it educationally useful, and that it enhanced their understanding. Between 95% and 98% found VR easy to use, immersive and reported ease in interacting with 3D objects. Although 8% experienced cybersickness, all expressed interest in future VR-based education. Potential novelty bias must also be considered. VR is a feasible and well-accepted tool for anatomy education, even among students with ongoing access to anatomy dissection facilities. With minimal cybersickness and high enjoyment, engagement and immersion, VR shows strong potential as a complementary educational method. Further research should explore long-term learning outcomes in terms of knowledge retention and clinical implementation strategies within educational institutions.

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探索虚拟现实技术在医学生解剖学教学中的应用：可行性与可接受性研究

虚拟现实（VR）提供了一个身临其境的交互式3D学习环境，在医学教育中的应用越来越广泛。它有利于外科训练，并且在解剖学教育中越来越多地受益，特别是在人体解剖有限的地方。尽管虚拟现实可以提高用户粘性和知识留存率，但人们仍然担心可用性、可行性和晕动症。本研究探讨了医学生在使用传统解剖实验室的情况下，对VR进行解剖学学习的接受程度。方法对科克大学学院ASSERT模拟中心的38名医学生进行了定性横断面试点研究。参与者使用人体解剖软件参加了一个引导的VR会话。之后，他们完成了一项在线调查，评估易用性、乐趣、沉浸感、教育用途、互动、理解、未来使用的意图和晕动症。该调查改编自两份有效的问卷。特征工程将相关项目组合成八个维度，以简化分析和可视化。评价结果显示，用户对虚拟现实的接受度和热情度较高。所有的参与者都表示很享受这段经历，觉得它很有教育意义，而且增进了他们的理解。95%至98%的人认为VR易于使用，身临其境，并且报告易于与3D物体交互。尽管8%的人经历过晕屏，但所有人都对未来基于vr的教育感兴趣。潜在的新颖性偏差也必须考虑在内。VR是一种可行的、被广泛接受的解剖学教育工具，即使是那些经常使用解剖学解剖设备的学生。虚拟现实技术极少晕机，享受度高、参与度高、沉浸感强，作为一种互补的教育方法，它显示出了强大的潜力。进一步的研究应探讨在教育机构的知识保留和临床实施策略方面的长期学习成果。

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来源期刊

Clinical Teacher MEDICINE, RESEARCH & EXPERIMENTAL-

CiteScore

2.90

自引率

5.60%

发文量

113

期刊介绍： The Clinical Teacher has been designed with the active, practising clinician in mind. It aims to provide a digest of current research, practice and thinking in medical education presented in a readable, stimulating and practical style. The journal includes sections for reviews of the literature relating to clinical teaching bringing authoritative views on the latest thinking about modern teaching. There are also sections on specific teaching approaches, a digest of the latest research published in Medical Education and other teaching journals, reports of initiatives and advances in thinking and practical teaching from around the world, and expert community and discussion on challenging and controversial issues in today"s clinical education.