Our world today has a higher demand for new and more efficient tools and methods to teach anatomical sciences, and the rapid development of augmented reality (AR) means the educational use of this technology is becoming increasingly vital.
There has been more interest in the use of augmented reality beyond the world of gaming. For instance, we now have an increasingly prominent use of AR in the education sector – especially in the area of anatomy.
The immersive nature of augmented reality provides limitless opportunities to spice up boring classroom lectures – and increase the learning and retention rates of students. Therefore, it’s no surprise that educators at all levels are experimenting with this technology – this includes medical schools.
Due to the decline of cadaver-based teaching, educators have been looking for new, improved ways to efficiently teach anatomy. AR has proven to be necessary for this field. A lot of learning centers have experimented with immersive technologies. They’ve implemented those technologies as part of multimedia, multimodal approaches to teaching anatomy.
Using Augmented Reality to Teach Anatomy
One of the most powerful AR apps for teaching anatomy is Complete Anatomy. It provides virtual models of the human body according to anatomical papers and classic textbooks. The creators of this app used the best possible resources to ensure accuracy.
Anatomy students can explore the body down to the cellular level and find out about the different types of cells and the duties they perform that are vital to everyday living.
Additionally, students can select particular organs and see how they work. For instance, it is possible to see the heart in action. You’ll be able to view how blood circulates as the heart beats in real-time.
The best part is probably that this app provides over 200 hours of expert-led lectures. After undergoing an in-depth lecture, you can test your knowledge by answering quizzes.
Another important app that simulates cadaveric dissection is Human Anatomy Atlas. The app creates a Visible Body to provide students with an alternative for cadaver-based learning. Students can access it either on their Android or iOS devices.
As a user, you can transform any room into a lab. For instance, you can explore various systems of the body and dissect virtual cadavers. You can use this app to learn the different functions of organs. Also, you can dissect the organs of your choice – eyes, heart, brain, and so on.
Even though you can look for both video and text content over the internet, this material is not sufficient for a lot of students that want a deeper understanding of difficult topics, particularly those found in the physical world but are difficult to grab.
Augmented reality apps outshine other technological tools for anatomy learning. They present content in a more interactive or detailed format than the models most people remember from science classes. With all of the text and audio content we expect from the internet, AR apps are changing the ways that we view science.
Bottom Line
As learning institutions all over the world suspend classroom lessons because of COVID-19 restrictions, AR has never been more important to learning. It makes it possible for students to receive the same quality lesson they would have gotten in a lab or classroom – students can access vital resources anytime and anywhere.
AR is gradually taking over the field of medicine, especially anatomy. Immersive technology is empowering the medical profession. It has expanded the knowledge of professionals and given them unique opportunities to practice. And since AR doesn’t need an expensive headset such as virtual reality, students can use it without spending much.