Uso de realidad virtual inmersiva como recurso didáctico para la comprensión del sistema nervioso central

Abstract

Teaching neuroanatomy through two-dimensional resources may hinder the spatial understanding of brain structures, which has encouraged the incorporation of immersive methodologies in higher education. This study aimed to evaluate the pedagogical feasibility of immersive virtual reality (VR) and to examine learning associated with its use as an educational resource for studying the central nervous system. Twenty-six first-year undergraduate Speech Therapy students participated in a practical session using the Human Anatomy VR application. Questionnaires and an objective test were used to assess adverse symptoms, sense of presence, satisfaction, and performance on neuroanatomical and functional knowledge. Results showed an absence of adverse symptoms in 76.44% of Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ) records, together with a high sense of presence and high levels of satisfaction. However, the proportion of correct responses was lower for content studied through immersive VR than for content taught through traditional theoretical instruction. Overall, immersive VR appeared to be a feasible and well-accepted educational resource, although its instructional design should be optimized and more controlled assessment procedures are needed to determine its impact on learning.