Virtual Models Using Augmented Reality May Provide a Suitable Supplement, Although Not a Physical Specimen...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Pathology
• Technology-Enhanced Learning

Background:

• Increasing adoption of virtual models in medical education.
• Limited research on the impact of virtual models replacing physical pathology specimens.
• Need to assess student perceptions of technology-enhanced pathology teaching.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate medical student perceptions of replacing physical pathology specimens with virtual models.
• To compare the perceived usefulness of 3D virtual models versus physical specimens in pathology education.
• To determine student preferences for incorporating technology-enhanced learning in pathology curricula.

Main Methods:

• Survey of 74 year 2 and year 5 medical students.
• Demonstration of a tablet-based augmented reality lesson on lung pathology.
• Likert-scale survey and written feedback on virtual vs. physical specimen utility.

Main Results:

• 58.15% of students disagreed with replacing physical specimens with virtual models.
• 55.4% found replacing physical specimens with augmented reality models not beneficial for pathology learning.
• 89.2% of students preferred a combination of both physical specimens and virtual models.

Conclusions:

• Technology-enhanced learning can supplement, but not replace, traditional pathology specimen teaching.
• Physical specimens remain crucial for medical students' understanding of disease states.
• A blended learning approach integrating virtual models alongside physical specimens is optimal for pathology education.