Testing the effects of educational strategies on comprehension of a genomic concept using virtual reality technology

Abstract

Objective Applying genetic susceptibility information to improve health will likely require educating patients about abstract concepts, for which there is little existing research. This experimental study examined the effect of learning mode on comprehension of a genomic concept. Methods 156 individuals aged 18–40 without specialized knowledge were randomly assigned to either a virtual reality active learning or didactic learning condition. The outcome was comprehension (recall, transfer, mental models). Results Change in recall was greater for didactic learning than active learning (p<0.001). Mean transfer and change in mental models were also higher for didactic learning (p<0.0001 and p<0.05, respectively). Believability was higher for didactic learning (p<0.05), while ratings for motivation (p<0.05), interest (p<0.0001), and enjoyment (p<0.0001) were higher for active learning, but these variables did not mediate the association between learning mode and comprehension. Conclusion These results show that learning mode affects comprehension, but additional research is needed regarding how and in what contexts different approaches are best for educating patients about abstract concepts. Practice implications Didactic, interpersonal health education approaches may be more effective than interactive games in educating patients about abstract, unfamiliar concepts. These findings indicate the importance of traditional health education approaches in emerging areas like genomics.

Public Understanding of Risks from Gene-Environment Interaction in Common Diseases: Implications for Public Communications

“…For example, it provides a plausible explanation for the superior performance of the ‘elevator’ metaphor over the ‘bridge’ metaphor in the research by Kaphingst et al [29], as the elevator metaphor draws on pre-existing linkages between mathematical concepts (numbered floors and concepts of acceleration and deceleration related to numbers through driving), whereas the appearance of holes and patches in the bridge metaphor does not draw on a neural semantic network that contains previously established links among mathematical and concrete applications. On the other hand, this discrepancy may also or merely reflect the well-documented challenges of relating risk estimates to personal health issues [48].…”

“…Preliminary work exists regarding the issues of public understanding of gene-environment interaction [24,25,26,27], public education about gene-environment interaction [28,29] and the impacts of public messages about gene-environment interaction [30]. This research has tentatively addressed both the qualitative and quantitative dimensions of public understandings of the gene-environment relationship.…”

“…Kaphingst et al [28,29] found that an 11–12 minute didactic presentation was more successful than a comparable active-learning session at teaching the model in a virtual reality environment and that the content of the metaphor used to present the information (elevator vs. bridge) also effected the level of change in understanding.…”

Development of a Web-based Family Intervention for BRCA Carriers and Their Biological Relatives: Acceptability, Feasibility, and Usability Study (Preprint)

“…Other intervention outcomes include improving understanding of cancer genetics during counseling [37,[39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46]; enhancing carriers' well-being after testing [23,[47][48][49][50]; and supporting them during disclosure of genetic test results [51][52][53][54]. Genetic information was delivered with an information booklet [29], a CD-ROM [25,29,38], a phone call [42,48], a computer-based program [25,27], and with peer-educators [54].…”

“…Genetic information was delivered with an information booklet [29], a CD-ROM [25,29,38], a phone call [42,48], a computer-based program [25,27], and with peer-educators [54]. Modes of delivery included a one-day retreat to provide updated information [50], a short follow-up session [46], pre-counseling materials [34,38,43], virtual reality technology [44], and phone counseling for psychological support to carriers and their sisters [42,48]. Outcomes included satisfaction with the intervention, knowledge improvement, intention to use genetic testing, and reducing emotional burden.…”