To what extent is VR as effective in medical education as traditional

methods for students?

EAP Research Project

First Draft

Aididar Aimurat

0571

EAP Reading and Writing Tutor: Valentina Sereda

EAP Group: 27
The positive effect of VR in terms of memory efficiency

Claim: Traditional methods are less effective than VR for acquiring and retaining anatomical

knowledge.

Evidence: Individuals who utilized the immersive anatomy atlas in the VR condition

demonstrated superior performance in comparison to those who utilized the open book

condition (Gloy et al., 2021, p. 365).

Evidence: Examination results revealed that 34 students (37.8% of the group) who engaged in

the VR-based game demonstrated a statistically significant improvement over 41 students

(38.3% of the group) one month following the educational intervention (Chytas et al., 2021, p.

3).

Evidence: The efficacy of the 3D-VR-based human anatomy modules implemented on software

platforms on iPads surpasses that of conventional 2D approaches, 3D tools, and 3D learning

resources (Alharbi et al., 2020, p. 2).

Evidence: The knowledge scores of the 3D-VR male and female groups were comparatively

higher than those of the traditional method groups across three assessments (Alharbi et al.,

2020, p. 4).

Counterclaim: While the females in the traditional method group achieved higher knowledge

scores in all three tests compared to the males, only the post-test scores (i.e., short-term

knowledge retention scores) of the females in the traditional method group differed significantly

from the males'. (Alharbi et al., 2020, p. 4).

Advances in Visualisation
Claim: VR allows neurosurgeon students to visualize better anatomical components and their

comprehension of the processes and functions of organs in the human body.

Evidence: The term "humanecomputer interface" is used in computer simulation and virtual

reality (VR) to describe a human-computer interface that enables rapid, realistic stimuli to be

elicited while simultaneously facilitating highly interactive visualisation and control of

computer-generated 3D scenes and their associated components (Bernardo, 2017, p. 1021).

Evidence: By using 4K intraoperative footage of a real surgery as the major reference,

anatomic layers and anatomic structures are faithfully represented as virtual assets. Some

activities or anatomic features can be enlarged to improve accuracy (Luca et al., 2020, p. 676).

Availability

Counterclaim: There are a limited number of students in medical education who can afford

virtual reality because of the high costs.

Evidence: The high cost of virtual reality tools used in general medical education can be

attributed to the advanced technology required to generate immersive three-dimensional

environments with real-time, user-friendly interaction (De Faria et al., 2016, p. 1105).

Evidence: Given the expensive cost of VR technology, regional disparities may play an

influence, given their average wealth (Mergen et al., 2023, p. 2).

The benefits of VR when using it for medical education

Enhances surgical skills and empathy

Claim: The method of multi-dimensional simulation using VR is a useful tool that can improve

medical education.
Evidence: Research has demonstrated that the implementation of virtual surgery in the

operating room substantially enhances surgical performance, particularly in critical procedures

like glaucoma and brain surgery (Baniasadi et al., 2020).

Evidence: Assessment results indicate that students demonstrate increased understanding and

empathy with senior individuals with age-related conditions such as macular degeneration and

hearing loss (Dyer et al., 2018, p. 500).

Evidence: One of the best ways to learn 3D things could be to have the option to gently adjust

or jiggle the key-view orientation to provide some interpretation of the third dimension without

detracting from the canonical perspective (Amit et al., S99).

Understanding medical knowledge and skills

Claim: By incorporating VR into their coursework or research, students will improve their

understanding and several crucial skills in medicine.

Evidence: The study findings indicate that individuals who received training through a virtual

reality simulation demonstrated enhanced abilities in managing tracheostomy care, optimal

workflow processes for stroke cases, competency in making decisions regarding pneumonia

and sepsis, placement of peripheral venous catheters guided by ultrasound, proficiency in

computed tomography (CT) scanning, and the acquisition of surgical skills for urethrovesical

anastomosis tasks (Dhar et al., 2023).

Evidence: In addition to improving understanding in a variety of areas, including brain

architecture and physiology, brain injury and healing, and stroke-specific information like

individual stroke risk factors and acute therapeutic advantages, the use of VR offers safe and

customized educational experiences for participants who were extremely satisfied with the

education sessions (Üstün et al., 2020, p. 60, as cited in Thompson-Butel et al., 2019, p. 450).
 Reference List

Alharbi, Y., Al‐Μansour, M., Al-Saffar, R., Garman, A., & Alraddadi, A. (2020).

Three-dimensional Virtual Reality as an Innovative Teaching and Learning Tool for

Human Anatomy Courses in Medical Education: A Mixed Methods Study. Cureus.

https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.7085

Baniasadi, T., Ayyoubzadeh, S. M., & Mohammadzadeh, N. (2020). Challenges and practical

considerations in applying virtual reality in medical education and treatment. Oman

Medical Journal, 35(3), e125. https://doi.org/10.5001/omj.2020.43

Bernardo, A. (2017). Virtual reality and simulation in neurosurgical training. World Neurosurgery,

106, 1015–1029. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wneu.2017.06.140

Clarke, E. (2021). Virtual reality simulation—the future of orthopaedic training? A systematic

review and narrative analysis. Advances in Simulation, 6(1).

https://doi.org/10.1186/s41077-020-00153-x

Chytas, D., Salmas, M., Demesticha, T., Noussios, G., Paraskevas, G., Chrysanthou, C. S.,

Asouhidou, I., Katsourakis, A., & Fiska, A. (2021). A review of the use of virtual reality for

teaching radiology in conjunction with anatomy. Cureus.

https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.20174

De Faria, J. W. V., Teixeira, M. J., De Moura Sousa Júnior, L., Otoch, J. P., & Figueiredo, E. G.

(2016). Virtual and stereoscopic anatomy: when virtual reality meets medical education.

Journal of Neurosurgery, 125(5), 1105–1111. https://doi.org/10.3171/2015.8.jns141563

De Luca, A., Giorgino, R., Gesualdo, L., Peretti, G., Belkhou, A., Banfi, G., & Grasso, G. (2020).

Innovative Educational pathways in spine Surgery: Advanced Virtual Reality–Based

training. World Neurosurgery, 140, 674–680. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wneu.2020.04.102

Dhar, E., Upadhyay, U., Huang, Y., Uddin, M., Manias, G., Kyriazis, D., Wajid, U., Alshawaf, H.,

& Syed-Abdul, S. (2023). A scoping review to assess the effects of virtual reality in
 medical education and clinical care. Digital Health, 9, 205520762311580.

https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076231158022

Dyer, E., Swartzlander, B., & Gugliucci, M. R. (2018). Using virtual reality in medical education

to teach empathy. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 106(4).

https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2018.518

Garg, A. X., Norman, G. R., Eva, K. W., Spero, L., & Sharan, S. (2002). Is there any real virtue

of virtual reality? Academic Medicine, 77(Supplement), S97–S99.

https://doi.org/10.1097/00001888-200210001-00030

Gloy, K., Weyhe, P., Nerenz, E., Kaluschke, M., Uslar, V., Zachmann, G., & Weyhe, D. (2021).

Immersive Anatomy Atlas: Learning factual medical knowledge in a virtual reality

environment. Anatomical Sciences Education, 15(2), 360–368.

https://doi.org/10.1002/ase.2095

Kiegaldie, D., & Shaw, L. (2023, December 19). Virtual reality simulation for nursing education:

effectiveness and feasibility. BMC Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-023-01639-5

Lloyd, J., Akhtar, S. M. I., & Balaji, P. (2023). Identifying the barriers faced by medical students

using virtual reality simulation. Discover Education, 2(1).

https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-023-00049-8

Mergen, M., Meyerheim, M., & Graf, N. (2023). Reviewing the current state of virtual reality

integration in medical education – a scoping review protocol. Systematic Reviews, 12(1).

https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-023-02266-6

Stepan, K., Zeiger, J., Hanchuk, S., Del Signore, A., Shrivastava, R., Govindaraj, S., & Iloreta,

A. M. (2017). Immersive virtual reality as a teaching tool for neuroanatomy. International

Forum of Allergy & Rhinology, 7(10), 1006–1013. https://doi.org/10.1002/alr.21986

Üstün, A., Yılmaz, R., & Yılmaz, F. G. K. (2020). Virtual reality in medical education. In

Advances in medical technologies and clinical practice book series (pp. 56–73).

https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-2521-0.ch004
What is Cybersickness in Virtual Reality? (2024, January 25). The Interaction Design

Foundation.

https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/cybersickness-in-virtual-reality
 An initial benefit of visualization in virtual reality (VR) is suggested to enhance the

retention and acquisition of anatomical information better than traditional methods in terms of

theory. It is discussed that the "humanecomputer interface" is a term used in computer

simulation and virtual reality (VR) to describe a human-computer interface that facilitates the

rapid elicitation of realistic stimuli and highly interactive visualisation and control of

computer-generated three-dimensional scenes and their associated elements (Bernardo, 2017,

p. 1021). Consequently, VR permits neurosurgeon trainees to visualize anatomical components

better, and this positive effect of VR affects the retention of anatomical information. According to

Gloy et al. (2021), individuals who utilized the immersive anatomy atlas in the VR condition

demonstrated superior performance to those who utilized the open book condition (p. 365).

Additionally, the knowledge scores of the 3D-VR male and female groups were comparatively

higher than those of the traditional method groups across three assessments (Alharbi et al.,

2020, p. 4). Conversely, VR might be considered prohibitively expensive to instruct medical

students. Due to the sophisticated technology required to generate immersive three-dimensional

environments with real-time, user-friendly interaction, virtual reality tools utilized in general

medical education are beyond reasonable cost (De Faria et al., 2016, p. 1105). Therefore, given

the expensive cost of VR technology, regional disparities may play an influence, given their

average wealth (Mergen et al., 2023, p. 2). This may restrict the accessibility and availability of

VR for anatomy instruction, particularly for students or institutions with low resources or funding.
 The utilization of Virtual Reality simulation (VRS) improves surgical skills and other

important medical skills of students better than traditional experiments. Virtual reality (VR)

simulation gives users an immersive, three-dimensional experience, allowing surgical trainees to

exercise procedures and skills in a realistic yet secure environment (Clarke, 2021). It was

emphasized how important it is to cultivate critical thinking from the VRS scenarios as well as

the information and abilities needed to handle circumstances comparable to them (Kiegaldie &

Shaw, 2023). According to the study's findings, people who underwent virtual reality simulation

training showed improved tracheostomy care management skills, optimal workflow processes

for stroke cases, sepsis and pneumonia decision-making competency, ultrasound-guided

peripheral venous catheter placement, computed tomography (CT) scanning proficiency, and

surgical skill acquisition for urethrovesical anastomosis tasks (Dhar et al., 2023). Similarly,

different research indicates that the utilization of virtual surgery during operations greatly

improves surgical performance, particularly in delicate procedures like brain and glaucoma

surgeries (Baniasadi et al., 2020). In contrast, prolonged VR use may be detrimental to

student's health because it is caused by a discrepancy between vestibular cues, which are

perceived by the inner ear, and visual cues, which are perceived by the eyes. When humans

engage with virtual surroundings, they may experience motion sickness-like symptoms such as

headaches, nausea, vertigo, eye strain, and disorientation, and this phenomenon is known as

cybersickness in virtual reality (What Is Cybersickness in Virtual Reality?, 2024). Despite this

major concern about using VR such as cybersickness, another study's findings indicate that

virtual reality is a suitable simulation mode for students, and possible obstacles like pain and

cybersickness were seldom felt and had no effect on the perceived utility (Lloyd et al., 2023).

Additionally, In contrast to traditional simulation-based education(SBE), which has repetition

restrictions, allowing VR students to drill abilities via repetition may help them grasp the material

more quickly and become proficient (Kiegaldie & Shaw, 2023). Consequently, the VRS

situations were thought to be less daunting and stressful (Kiegaldie & Shaw, 2023).
Annotated source

Kiegaldie, D., & Shaw, L. (2023, December 19). Virtual reality simulation for nursing education:

effectiveness and feasibility. BMC Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-023-01639-5

This article was published in a peer-reviewed journal on December 19, 2023, so it can

be considered current. Having previously worked in critical care nursing, the leading author,

Professor Debra Kiegaldie, PhD, MEd, BEdSt, is a registered nurse. She currently serves as the

Clinical Chair for the Holmesglen Institute's Faculty of Health Sciences and Healthscope

Australia. She also has an adjunct appointment with the Eastern Health Clinical School at

Monash University. She has 77 publications, which have been cited 494 times. Even though the

research has been recently published, it has been covered 6 times with online attention which

shows the significance of its information.

This article compares the learner outcomes of traditional simulation-based education

(SBE) and virtual reality simulation (VRS) for pre-registration nursing students. The thesis of the

article is that VRS is an effective and feasible method for nursing education, as it fosters critical

thinking and provides authentic learning experiences. The study used a mixed-method

quasi-experimental design with 675 participants from a training and further education institute in

Melbourne, Australia. The intervention group received four immersive VRS modules, while the

control group received four face-to-face SBE sessions. The study measured the students’

knowledge, participation, satisfaction, realism, and readiness for clinical practice. The results

showed that VRS students had significantly higher knowledge scores than SBE students before

clinical placement, but not after. VRS students also had higher participation rates, satisfaction

levels, and perceived realism than SBE students. VRS was found to be more cost-effective than
SBE, as it required less staff, equipment, and space. The study concluded that VRS was an

effective and feasible method for nursing education, as it fostered critical thinking and provided

authentic learning experiences. The study also suggested some areas for improvement, such as

addressing technical issues and enhancing feedback mechanisms for VRS.

This article was useful in helping me support my thesis that virtual reality simulation

(VRS) is an effective and feasible method for nursing education. I used the findings and

implications of this article in my second section about skills to compare VRS with traditional

simulation-based education (SBE) in terms of learner outcomes, feasibility, and

cost-effectiveness. As this was a mixed methods study, I found the quantitative and qualitative

data useful when analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of VRS.