Background Sim Wars is a simulation‐based competition wherein teams of medical trainees are presented a clinical scenario and provide patient care in front of a live audience. This non‐traditional educational offering is a form of serious games in medical education and allows for experiential learning via direct observation. Although a well‐described educational modality within graduate medical education, there is a dearth of literature regarding Sim Wars as an educational tool within undergraduate medical education. In this paper, we aim to share student perspectives after participating in Sim Wars. Approach The Sim Wars competition was designed as a double‐elimination bracket tournament with arena‐style direct observation to maximise student engagement. Teams were provided formative feedback in areas of medical knowledge, clinical management and communication skills. A total of 64 students participated in a regional Sim Wars tournament over the course of 2 years. Evaluation A total of 36 students completed Likert‐based surveys immediately after the Sim Wars competition. Quantitative data and open‐ended responses were analysed. Fourteen students participated in focus groups held a few months after Sim Wars regarding their experiences during the competition. Thematic analysis was systematically performed on the qualitative data. Implication Participation in Sim Wars was viewed by students as a high‐yield learning experience that increased competence on subsequent clinical rotations. We conclude that this form of serious game can be a highly beneficial educational format for medical students especially if they spend time preparing for the competition and receive structured feedback on their performance.
ID 14902 Poster Board 192 Background: Virtual reality (VR) is a powerful tool that allows participants to learn by exploring and manipulating an immersive 3D environment. In recent years, VR technology has successfully been applied in some areas of health professional education, including anatomy and clinical skills. The 3D immersive visualization in VR can potentially be applied to learn complex pharmacology topics. Despite its potential, the application and effectiveness of VR technology in pharmacology education are mainly unknown. The present study aims to investigate the effectiveness of VR technology in learning complex pharmacological concepts.Methods: A prospective mixed methods design was used for this study. Undergraduate medical students at the University of Illinois College of Medicine evaluated a VR learning module on cardiovascular drugs affecting the autonomic nervous system. The 3D assets and visualizations for the VR module were developed by the Jump simulation center. The participants (n=20) were briefed on the operation of the HTC Vive headset and the virtual interface (Enduvo) before the intervention. The pharmacology knowledge was assessed using a pre-and post-intervention test. The students also participated in a post-intervention survey of 10 items (5-point Likert scale) and an open-ended question on learner satisfaction, ease of use, perceived usefulness, quality of visual elements, intention to use, and comfort level regarding the VR experience.Results: The participants scored significantly higher in the post-intervention test than in the pre-intervention test (p < 0.05, paired t-test). The post-intervention survey demonstrated high internal reliability (Cronbach's alpha > 0.8). Most of the participants agreed that they were satisfied with the VR module (90%), the VR was easy to use (90%), and their time was efficiently used (90%). A minority of participants thought they would have preferred a traditional learning format (15%), and some participants felt VR caused feelings of discomfort (20%). The majority of the comments regarding the VR module were positive.Conclusions: Our data suggest that VR-based learning improves pharmacology knowledge in medical students, and most undergraduate medical students are receptive to this innovative learning tool. Therefore, immersive VR technology has the potential to make pharmacology education deeply engaging by providing 3D visualization of complex drug actions. Further studies are needed to compare the effectiveness of VR-based learning with traditional passive learning approaches in pharmacology education.
Introduction Virtual reality (VR) is a powerful tool in health professional education. It has been successfully implemented in various domains of education with positive learning outcomes. The three-dimensional (3D) visualization offered by VR can potentially be applied to learn complex pharmacology topics. This study aims to investigate whether VR technology can improve the learning of complex pharmacological concepts. Methods A VR learning module on cardiovascular drugs was developed using Kern’s six-step framework. 32 medical students participated in the pilot study. Their pharmacology knowledge was assessed using pre- and post-intervention tests. Additionally, feedback from the participants were collected through a post-intervention survey that assessed learner satisfaction, ease of use, perceived usefulness, quality of visual elements, intention to use, and comfort level during the VR experience. Results Participants scored significantly higher in the post-intervention test than in the pre-intervention test (p <0.05). A majority of the participants (90%) were satisfied with the VR module, finding it easy to use, and time efficient. A minority of participants (15%) preferred a traditional learning format while some participants (20%) experienced discomfort in VR. Conclusion Our findings suggest that VR enhances pharmacology knowledge in medical students and is well-received as an innovative educational tool. By providing immersive 3D visualization of complex drug actions, VR has the potential to transform pharmacology education into an engaging and effective learning experience.
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