Pilot Study: Gamification of Carpal Anatomy Education Using Virtual Reality

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Anatomy
• Virtual Reality

Background:

• Teaching spatial anatomy traditionally presents significant challenges.
• Virtual reality (VR) offers a promising 3D learning environment for anatomy.
• Conventional 2D resources are less effective for 3D anatomical structures like carpal bones.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of a VR wrist game module for learning spatial carpal anatomy.
• To compare VR-based learning with traditional methods for anatomical understanding.
• To evaluate the transferability of spatial skills gained through VR in anatomy.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled study involving first-year medical students.
• Participants were divided into a VR group and a control group (textbook reading).
• Knowledge assessment included pre/post questionnaires and a physical model test.

Main Results:

• The VR group demonstrated significantly better performance on the physical model test for bone positioning and orientation.
• VR training was associated with faster completion times and a direct correlation between VR game scores and test performance.
• Participants found the VR module effective for practicing transferable motor skills and recommended it for learning carpal anatomy.

Conclusions:

• VR technology effectively enhances spatial skills crucial for applying anatomical knowledge in real-world clinical settings.
• VR-based learning is superior to 2D resources for mastering 3D anatomical concepts.
• The development of spatial understanding through 3D tools like VR is clinically relevant for medical students and practitioners.