TRAINING HIGHER EDUCATION BIOSCIENCE STUDENTS WITH VIRTUAL REALITY SIMULATOR

Christos Kaltsidis, Katerina Kedraka, Maria E. Grigoriou

Abstract


Laboratory training is the cornerstone of science education in higher education. However, in several cases hands-on experimental procedures are not possible, and therefore technology provide alternative educational methods. One of the rapidly evolving technologies, namely Virtual Reality (VR) can offer multiple benefits in laboratory training through the development of simulations and virtual laboratories that support, facilitate, and promote an effective their learning experience. We present an empirical research carried out at the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics of the Democritus University of Thrace during the winter semester of the academic year 2020-2021. 51 undergraduate students carried out a Virtual Reality activity aiming to train them to the use of a Class II Biosafety Cabinet (BSC) in an immersive virtual environment. Our results show that VR approach was highly and enthusiastically accepted by the students; they reported that they had an authentic learning experience which enabled them to better achieve the learning objectives. However, in some cases symptoms like dizziness and blurry image were reported most likely due to equipment, showing that improvement of the equipment used in VR is needed.

Article visualizations:

Hit counter


Keywords


virtual reality, learning experience, simulator, laboratory exercises

Full Text:

PDF

References


Athanasiou K, 2015. Teaching Biology. Greek Academic Textbooks and Aids, Athens, Greece

Allcoat D, von Mühlenen A, 2018. Learning in virtual reality: Effects on performance, emotion and engagement. Research in Learning Technology 26. doi: 10.25304/rlt.v26.2140

Alves Bastos E Castro M, Lucchetti G, 2020. Simulation in Healthcare Education During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic. Simulation in healthcare: journal of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare 15(4): 298–299. doi: 10.1097/SIH.0000000000000492

Ames S L, Wolffsohn J S, Mcbrien N A, 2005. The Development of a Symptom Questionnaire. Optometry and Vision Science 82(3): 168–176.

Bailenson J, 2018. How to build good VR content. In J. Bailenson (Ed.), Experience on demand: What Virtual Reality is, how it works, and what it can do. Norton & Company. pp 247-260

Barmpoutis A, DeVane B, Oliverio J, 2015. Applications of Virtual Environments in Experiental, STEM, and Health Science Education. In K.S. Hale & K.M. Stanney (Eds.), Handbook of virtual environments: Design, implementation, and applications. CRC Press. pp 857-871

Bezegová E, Ledgard M A, Molemaker R-J, Oberč B P, Vigkos A, 2017. VR and Its Potential for Europe. https://ec.europa.eu/futurium/en/system/files/ged/vr_ecosystem_eu_report_0.pdf. Accessed 2 April 2021

Blascovich J, Bailenson J, 2011. Infinite reality. Harper-Collins, New York

Chertoff D, Schatz S, 2015. Beyond Presence: How Holistic Experience Drives Training and Education. In K.S. Hale & K.M. Stanney (Eds.), Handbook of virtual environments: Design, implementation, and applications, CRC Press. pp 857-871

Dalgarno B, Lee M J W, 2010. What are the learning affordances of 3-D virtual environments? British Journal of Educational Technology, 41(1): 10–32. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8535.2009.01038.x

Fabris C P, Rathner J A, Fong A Y, Sevigny C P, 2019. Virtual Reality in higher education. International Journal of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education, 27(8): 69–80. doi: 10.30722/ijisme.27.08.006

Fox M F J, Werth A, Hoehn J R, Lewandowski H J, 2020. Teaching labs during a pandemic: Lessons from Spring 2020 and an outlook for the future. http://arxiv.org/abs/2007.01271. Accessed 8 April 2021

Goddard T D, Brilliant A A, Skillman T L, Vergenz S, Tyrwhitt-drake J, Meng E C, Ferrin T E, 2018. Molecular Visualization on the Holodeck. Journal of Molecular Biology, 430(21): 3982–3996. doi: 10.1016/j.jmb.2018.06.040

Greenfeld A, Lugmayr A, Lamont W, 2019. Comparative reality: Measuring user experience and emotion in immersive virtual environments. Proceedings - 2018 IEEE International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality, AIVR 2018: 204–209. doi: 10.1109/AIVR.2018.00048

Hu A, Wilson T, Ladak H, Haase P, Fung K, 2009. Three-dimensional educational computer model of the larynx: Voicing a new direction. Archives of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, 135(7), 677–681. doi: 10.1001/archoto.2009.68

Hu-Au E, Lee J J, 2017. Virtual Reality in education: a tool for learning in the experience age, Int. J. Innovation in Education, 4(4): 215–226.

Illeris K, 2015. How we learn. Learning and non learning in school and beyond. Metaichmio, Athens

Jantjies M, Moodley T, Maart R, 2018. Experiential learning through virtual and augmented reality in higher education. ACM International Conference Proceeding Series, (December), 42–45. https://doi.org/10.1145/3300942.3300956

Kay R, 2011. Evaluating learning, design, and engagement in web-based learning tools (WBLTs): the WBLT evaluation scale, Computers in Human Behavior, 27(5): 1849–1856. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2011.04.007.

Kolb D, 1984. Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.

Kolb A Y, Kolb D A, 2012. Experiential Learning Theory. In: Seel N.M. (eds) Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning. Springer, Boston, MA. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4419-1428-6_227

Lepouras G, Antoniou A, Platis N, Charitos D, 2015. Development of Virtual Reality Systems. Association of Academic Libraries, Athens, Greece

Makransky G, Terkildsen T S, Mayer R E, 2019. Adding immersive Virtual Reality to a science lab simulation causes more presence but less learning. Learning & Instruction, 60: 225-236.

Makransky G, Petersen G B, 2021. The Cognitive Affective Model of Immersive Learning (CAMIL): a Theoretical Research-Based Model of Learning in Immersive Virtual Reality. Educational Psychology Review. doi: 10.1007/s10648-020-09586-2

Maresky H S, Oikonomou A, Ali I, Ditkofsky N, Pakkal M, Ballyk B, 2019. Virtual Reality and cardiac anatomy: Exploring immersive three-dimensional cardiac imaging, a pilot study in undergraduate medical anatomy education. Clinical Anatomy, 32(2): 238-243.

Marne B, Wisdom J, Huynh-Kim-Bang B, Labat J-M, 2012. The Six Facets of Serious Game Design: A Methodology Enhanced by Our Design Pattern Library: 208–221. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-33263-0_17

McCune V, 2009. Final year biosciences students’ willingness to engage: Teaching-learning environments, authentic learning experiences and identities. Studies in Higher Education, 34(3): 347-361. doi: 10.1080/03075070802597127

Menin A, Torchelsen R, Nedel L, 2018. An Analysis of VR Technology Used in Immersive Simulations with a Serious Game Perspective. IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, 38(2): 57–73. doi: 10.1109/MCG.2018.021951633

Mikropoulos T, 1998. Virtual Reality in Support of the Educational Process. In A. Tzimogiannis (Ed.), Proceedings of the 1st Pan-Epirus Conference "Informatics and Education": 35-45. Association of Informatics Teachers of Epirus

Moro C, Stromberga Z, Raikos A, Stirling A, 2017. The effectiveness of virtual and augmented reality in health sciences and medical anatomy. Anatomical Sciences Education. 10(6): 549-559. doi: 10.1002/ase.1696

Moustakas K, Paliokas I, Tsakiris A, Tzovaras D, 2015. Graphics and Virtual Reality. Association of Greek Academic Libraries, Athens, Greece

Nesenbergs K, Abolins V, Ormanis J, Mednis A, 2021. Use of augmented and Virtual Reality in remote higher education: A systematic umbrella review. Education Sciences 11(1): 1–12. doi: 10.3390/educsci11010008

Parry J, 2019. The use of Virtual Reality environments for medical training. Digit Med 5: 100-101.

Patel, S.M., Miller, C.R., Schiavi, A., Toy, S., Schwengel, D. A. (2020). The sim must go on: adapting resident education to the COVID-19 pandemic using telesimulation. Advances in Simulation, 5(26). doi: 10.1186/s41077-020-00146-w

Pulijala Y, Ma M, Pears M, Peebles D, Ayoub A, 2018. Effectiveness of Immersive Virtual Reality in Surgical Training—A Randomized Control Trial. International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 76(5): 1065-1072

Servotte J C, Goosse M, Campbell S H, Dardenne N, Pilote B, Simoneau I L, Guillaume M, Bragard I, Ghuysen A, 2020. Virtual Reality Experience: Immersion, Sense of Presence, and Cybersickness. Clinical Simulation in Nursing 38: 35–43. doi: 10.1016/j.ecns.2019.09.006

Stepan K, Zeiger J, Hanchuk S, Del Signore A, Shrivastava R, Govindaraj S, Iloreta A, 2017. Immersive Virtual Reality as a teaching tool for neuroanatomy. International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology, 7(10): 1006-1013. doi:10.1002/alr.21986

Tabatabai S, 2020. Simulations and Virtual Learning Supporting Clinical Education During the COVID 19 Pandemic. Adv Med Educ Pract., 11: 513-516. doi: 10.2147/AMEP.S257750




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejae.v6i1.3748

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright © 2015 - 2023. European Journal of Alternative Education Studies (ISSN 2501-5915) is a registered trademark of Open Access Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

This journal is a serial publication uniquely identified by an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) serial number certificate issued by Romanian National Library (Biblioteca Nationala a Romaniei). All the research works are uniquely identified by a CrossRef DOI digital object identifier supplied by indexing and repository platforms.

All the research works published on this journal are meeting the Open Access Publishing requirements and can be freely accessed, shared, modified, distributed and used in educational, commercial and non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).