Comparative Study of Augmented Reality vs Traditional Learning in Anatomy Education (TEACHANATOMY)

August 9, 2023 updated by: Lukas Zingg, Balgrist University Hospital

Effectiveness of Augmented Reality in Anatomy Education: The TEACHANATOMY Randomized Clinical Trial

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).

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

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.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

48

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Switzerland
    • Z
      • Zürich, Z, Switzerland, 8008
        • Balgrist University Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

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

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Other
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: 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.
Other: 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.
Active Comparator: 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,
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.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Knowledge acquisition
Time Frame: Immediately after the study session, Day 1
The primary outcome will consist of the score in the final theoretical and practical tests. The theoretical test consist of 23 single and multiple-choice questions in which participants will be required to recognize and name the 12 cranial nerves, differentiate their main functions and the typology (sensory, motor, mixed), explain the relationships between their structure and function, and recognize lesions using case studies. In the practical part, participants will be required to mark specific nerves in a 3D-printed anatomical skull model. The duration of the test will be of 30 minutes.
Immediately after the study session, Day 1

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Adverse Health Symptoms
Time Frame: Immediately after the knowledge acquisition test, Day 1.
Secondary outcomes will include adverse health symptoms, evaluated with a questionnaire to assess presence and severity of general symptoms (General discomfort, Fatigue, Headache, Dizziness, Nausea, Concentration problems, Disorientation, Neck stiffness/neck pain, No symptoms) and eye-related symptoms (Blurred vision, Difficulty focusing, Double-vision, Dry eyes No symptoms). Presence and severity of symptoms will be rated on a Likert scale from 1 (almost imperceptible) to 10 (extreme).
Immediately after the knowledge acquisition test, Day 1.
User experience
Time Frame: Immediately after the knowledge acquisition test, Day 1.
User experience will be assessed using an adapted NASA Task Load Index (5 questions, range, 1-10, with lower scores indicating lower cognitive workload) plus additional 10-point Likert scale and open-ended questions, in which participants were asked to rank their comfort with the material and hardware and the teaching effectiveness of the software or of the traditional learning methods to learn the anatomy of the cranial nerves
Immediately after the knowledge acquisition test, Day 1.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Balgrist University Hospital

Collaborators

University of Zurich

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Lukas Zingg, Cand. Med., Balgrust University Hospital

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

August 21, 2022

Primary Completion (Actual)

October 24, 2022

Study Completion (Actual)

October 24, 2022

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

July 17, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 3, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

August 14, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

August 14, 2023

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 9, 2023

Last Verified

August 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • TEACHANATOMY

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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