Impact of a virtual prosthetic case planning environment on perceived immersion, cognitive load, authenticity and learning motivation in dental students

Abstract

IntroductionThe application of virtual reality (VR) presents a big trend in medical education. The aim of this investigation was the presentation and assessment of a multi‐user virtual prosthetic case planning environment using criteria such as perceived immersion, cognitive load, authenticity and students´ learning motivation during a virtual seminar.Materials and MethodsThe virtual case planning environment consisted of two different virtual environments – the entrance area and the case planning environment. Students and lecturers visited it with the used VR glasses Oculus Quest 2 (Meta Quest). All participants appeared as tooth avatars (molars) during the prosthetic case planning seminar and were able to communicate. These voluntary virtual case planning seminars took place in the clinical prosthetic courses (4th and 5th year). Students were asked to fill in the questionnaire comprising 15 questions separated into four categories, each assessed by a 11‐point Likert scale: perceived presence/immersion, cognitive load, motivation and authenticity. A negative and a positive focus group were built, each consisting of three students answering three guiding questions. An exploratory data analysis was performed with the significance level set at p = .05.ResultsA total of 64 students out of 98 participated in the virtual seminars. The results demonstrated that the students felt very comfortable in the virtual seminar environment and were able to focus well on the content, demonstrated in predominantly positive results for presence/immersion. Cognitive load and authenticity presented positive results. In particular, the motivation of the students showed a high score (median: 2.1–2.6; IQR: 3.9). The cognitive load should be reduced if necessary to increase focus. The cyber sickness is a challenge for some students as well as the technical requirements of the internet connection, which needs to be addressed. Nevertheless, virtual case planning seminars are an essential tool for motivating the new generation of students.ConclusionsThe results of the investigation demonstrate that the students felt very comfortable in the virtual seminar environment and were able to focus well on the content. The prosthetic case plannings were well understood and the students quickly become familiar with the environment. The cognitive load could be reduced to increase focus. In particular, the motivation of the students showed a high score. The cyber sickness is a challenge for some students as well as the technical requirements of the internet connection, which needs to be addressed.

Areas of Research Focus and Trends in the Research on the Application of VR in Rehabilitation Medicine

“…Meta Quest is a standalone device with high degrees of freedom and hand-tracking capabilities. Meta Quest offers various applications in the field of rehabilitation, such as shoulder rehabilitation [20], distal radius fracture rehabilitation [21], therapy in lateral epicondylitis patients [22], knee osteoarthritis patients [23], walking activities in pediatric neurorehabilitation [24], and chronic low back pain [25,26].…”

Hand Sign Interpretation through Virtual Reality Data Processing

“…VR research outcomes have facilitated simulations of dam failures [6], preservation of historical artifacts [7], cultural and touristic promotions [8], and even the preservation of Gamelan music [9]. In dental education, VR has emerged as an innovative training tool [10], [11]. Within the healthcare and nursing sectors, VR is employed to alleviate post-operative pain [12], train multiple sclerosis patients [13], [14], and as an assistive tool in surgical robotics [15].…”