Comparative Study of Augmented Reality vs Traditional Learning in Anatomy Education

NCT ID: NCT05985746

Last Updated: 2023-08-14

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

48 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2022-08-21

Study Completion Date

2022-10-24

Brief Summary

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The goal of this clinical trial is to assess the efficacy of augmented reality (AR) in anatomy teaching.

The main question to answer is: Is 3-Dimensional AR technology more effective than traditional learning methods in anatomy education? In this clinical trial undergraduate medical students with no prior anatomy education will be recruited. Participants in the AR group will learn the anatomy of the cranial nerves with an AR application using Microsoft HoloLens 2, whereas participants in the control group will learn with traditional learning methods (textbooks, atlases, videos, and online learning programs).

Detailed Description

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Anatomy is a central part in medical training and is traditionally taught through lectures, textbooks, videos and cadaver dissections. Cadaver dissections are important to understand spatial relationships and individual variations of anatomical structures. In many universities, however, financial and ethical considerations, as well as uncommon circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have restricted access to cadaver dissections. Consequently, new teaching methods based on visual technologies such as augmented reality (AR) are being implemented worldwide. AR can generate realistic 3-dimensional (3D) images overlaid in the real-word environment, merging real and virtual world to provide an interactive learning experience. The use of such technologies in education is still in the early stages, and further research is needed to assess their beneficial impact in knowledge acquisition. The TEACHANATOMY project aim to develop a 3D, interactive AR teaching module focused on the anatomy of the cranial nerves. To assess its potential value in anatomy education, the investigators will perform a study to compare traditional learning methods based on textbooks, videos, and online resources, with the novel AR learning module using the HoloLens 2 (Microsoft Corporation). The goal is to assess whether AR technology can improve anatomical knowledge and enhance student's motivation and engagement.

Conditions

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Augmented Reality Anatomy Education

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

OTHER

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Augmented Reality (AR) group.

\- The experimental group will consist of approximately 20 undergraduate medical students. Participants will use the TEACHANATOMY learning application with the HoloLens 2.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Augmented reality group

Intervention Type OTHER

* Study presentation: participants will be given a 10-minute general introduction on the study followed by a 20 minutes tutorial to introduce the HoloLens 2 and the TEACHANATOMY learning platform.
* Study session: The study session consists of three learning blocks of approximately 20 minutes each, plus a repetition block to assess the acquired knowledge. During the study session participants will be given no time constraints and free breaks.
* Assessment test: Participants will be assessed with a 30 minutes knowledge assessment test.
* Final questionnaire: At the end participants will be given a questionnaire to assess adverse health symptoms and user experience.

Traditional learning (TL) group.

\- The control group will consist of approximately 20 undergraduate medical students. Participants will use traditional learning methods with textbooks, atlases, videos, and online learning programs,

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Traditional learning group

Intervention Type OTHER

* Study presentation: participants will be given a 10-minute general introduction on the study followed by a presentation to introduce the study session.
* Study session: The study session consists of the learning resources most used by students: specific sections from four different neuroanatomy books, access to two websites, two 3D videos, and two online learning programs. During the study session participants will be given no time constraints and free breaks.
* Assessment test: Participants will be assessed with a 30 minutes knowledge assessment test.
* Final questionnaire: At the end participants will be given a questionnaire to assess adverse health symptoms and user experience.

Interventions

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Augmented reality group

* Study presentation: participants will be given a 10-minute general introduction on the study followed by a 20 minutes tutorial to introduce the HoloLens 2 and the TEACHANATOMY learning platform.
* Study session: The study session consists of three learning blocks of approximately 20 minutes each, plus a repetition block to assess the acquired knowledge. During the study session participants will be given no time constraints and free breaks.
* Assessment test: Participants will be assessed with a 30 minutes knowledge assessment test.
* Final questionnaire: At the end participants will be given a questionnaire to assess adverse health symptoms and user experience.

Intervention Type OTHER

Traditional learning group

* Study presentation: participants will be given a 10-minute general introduction on the study followed by a presentation to introduce the study session.
* Study session: The study session consists of the learning resources most used by students: specific sections from four different neuroanatomy books, access to two websites, two 3D videos, and two online learning programs. During the study session participants will be given no time constraints and free breaks.
* Assessment test: Participants will be assessed with a 30 minutes knowledge assessment test.
* Final questionnaire: At the end participants will be given a questionnaire to assess adverse health symptoms and user experience.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Medical students attending the 1st or 2nd year of undergraduate medical education
* Must not have prior neuroanatomical education

Exclusion Criteria

* Epilepsy
* Binocular vision disorder such as strabismus
* Current head and/or neck injuries
* Inflammation of the scalp and/or eye
* Amputations or partial amputations of the hands
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

25 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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University of Zurich

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Balgrist University Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Lukas Zingg

Doctor of Medicine

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Lukas Zingg, Cand. Med.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Balgrust University Hospital

Locations

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Balgrist University Hospital

Zurich, Z, Switzerland

Site Status

Countries

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Switzerland

References

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Moro C, Stromberga Z, Raikos A, Stirling A. The effectiveness of virtual and augmented reality in health sciences and medical anatomy. Anat Sci Educ. 2017 Nov;10(6):549-559. doi: 10.1002/ase.1696. Epub 2017 Apr 17.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28419750 (View on PubMed)

Bolek KA, De Jong G, Henssen D. The effectiveness of the use of augmented reality in anatomy education: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sci Rep. 2021 Jul 27;11(1):15292. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-94721-4.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 34315955 (View on PubMed)

Chytas D, Johnson EO, Piagkou M, Mazarakis A, Babis GC, Chronopoulos E, Nikolaou VS, Lazaridis N, Natsis K. The role of augmented reality in Anatomical education: An overview. Ann Anat. 2020 May;229:151463. doi: 10.1016/j.aanat.2020.151463. Epub 2020 Jan 21.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31978568 (View on PubMed)

Curran VR, Xu X, Aydin MY, Meruvia-Pastor O. Use of Extended Reality in Medical Education: An Integrative Review. Med Sci Educ. 2022 Dec 19;33(1):275-286. doi: 10.1007/s40670-022-01698-4. eCollection 2023 Feb.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 36569366 (View on PubMed)

Gsaxner C, Li J, Pepe A, Jin Y, Kleesiek J, Schmalstieg D, Egger J. The HoloLens in medicine: A systematic review and taxonomy. Med Image Anal. 2023 Apr;85:102757. doi: 10.1016/j.media.2023.102757. Epub 2023 Jan 21.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 36706637 (View on PubMed)

McBain KA, Habib R, Laggis G, Quaiattini A, M Ventura N, Noel GPJC. Scoping review: The use of augmented reality in clinical anatomical education and its assessment tools. Anat Sci Educ. 2022 Jul;15(4):765-796. doi: 10.1002/ase.2155. Epub 2022 Jan 19.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 34800073 (View on PubMed)

Moro C, Birt J, Stromberga Z, Phelps C, Clark J, Glasziou P, Scott AM. Virtual and Augmented Reality Enhancements to Medical and Science Student Physiology and Anatomy Test Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Anat Sci Educ. 2021 May;14(3):368-376. doi: 10.1002/ase.2049. Epub 2021 Feb 26.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33378557 (View on PubMed)

Navab N, Martin-Gomez A, Seibold M, Sommersperger M, Song T, Winkler A, Yu K, Eck U. Medical Augmented Reality: Definition, Principle Components, Domain Modeling, and Design-Development-Validation Process. J Imaging. 2022 Dec 23;9(1):4. doi: 10.3390/jimaging9010004.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 36662102 (View on PubMed)

Stojanovska M, Tingle G, Tan L, Ulrey L, Simonson-Shick S, Mlakar J, Eastman H, Gotschall R, Boscia A, Enterline R, Henninger E, Herrmann KA, Simpson SW, Griswold MA, Wish-Baratz S. Mixed Reality Anatomy Using Microsoft HoloLens and Cadaveric Dissection: A Comparative Effectiveness Study. Med Sci Educ. 2019 Nov 15;30(1):173-178. doi: 10.1007/s40670-019-00834-x. eCollection 2020 Mar.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 34457656 (View on PubMed)

Stromberga Z, Phelps C, Smith J, Moro C. Teaching with Disruptive Technology: The Use of Augmented, Virtual, and Mixed Reality (HoloLens) for Disease Education. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2021;1317:147-162. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-61125-5_8.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33945136 (View on PubMed)

Uruthiralingam U, Rea PM. Augmented and Virtual Reality in Anatomical Education - A Systematic Review. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2020;1235:89-101. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-37639-0_5.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 32488637 (View on PubMed)

Ghosh SK. Cadaveric dissection as an educational tool for anatomical sciences in the 21st century. Anat Sci Educ. 2017 Jun;10(3):286-299. doi: 10.1002/ase.1649. Epub 2016 Aug 30.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 27574911 (View on PubMed)

Related Links

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Other Identifiers

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TEACHANATOMY

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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