Effects of Virtual Reality-Based Teaching On Students’ Learning Performance In Anatomy

Background: Students should become familiar with spatial relationships around anatomical structures, not just their appearance and function. This is a challenge in traditional classrooms where students use 2D images of books and descriptive articles as a reference. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of VR training applied in anatomy training compared to conventional or 2D digital methods in the classroom. Method: Our quasi-experimental method used pre-test and post-test to measure academic achievement and technology acceptance questionnaires. A total of 92 fourth-year medical students were from three classes. They were randomly divided into three groups: 1) Traditional education group and 2) Virtual Reality education group 3) E-learning group (based on Moodle). To examine learning performance, the measurement tools included pre-test and post-test of anatomy and technology acceptance questionnaire. Result: The results showed that students who took anatomy courses in VR showed significantly higher academic achievement than those who taught through traditional methods. There was also a significant difference between E-learning and traditional groups and no significant difference was observed between E-learning and VR groups. Conclusion: The present study provides empirical evidence for the use of VR in anatomy education. In addition, it explains how to create and implement a VR-based class for formal educational purposes.