Twelve tips for teaching in virtual reality

Abstract

Virtual reality (VR) is a technology that is seeing increasing use in medical education as a means to complement or prepare students for clinical practice in a safe space. Whilst effective for learning, it can be difficult to use effectively and requires significant planning to avoid the technological tail wagging the educational dog. We have run educational sessions using the technology to teach anatomy and clinical reasoning that have been well received by students at Queen Mary, University of London. In this article, we share 12 practical tips from our experiences on how to create and deliver learning using VR.

Keywords:

• Phase of education
• undergraduate
• profession
• medicine
• teaching and learning
• e-learning/computers
• methods

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Pedro Elston

Pedro Elston, PhD, PGCE, SFHEA, is head of the Learning Innovation Team and Digital Education at the medical school, Queen Mary, University of London. His research interests are in the application of digital tools and blended learning methods to medical education.

Gian Paulo Canale

Gian Paulo Canale, MA, BHum, is part of the Learning Innovation Team at the medical school, Queen Mary University of London. His research interests include the implementation of digital technologies to support students’ learning and well-being, and the broadening of participation in higher education.

Geetika Ail

Geetika Ail, MSc, is a Lecturer in Anatomy at Queen Mary University of London. She teaches anatomy across the MBBS, Prehospital Care Medicine, Physician’s Associate, and Biomedical Sciences degrees. Her research interests are in the use of novel educational technologies for the study of human anatomy.

Nick Fisher

Nick Fisher, MSc, PGCE, is a lecturer in digital design in the Learning Innovation Team at the medical school, Queen Mary, University of London. His research interests are in the application and evaluation of learning design strategies and immersive technologies to medical education.

Mythili Mahendran

Mythili Mahendran, BSc, MBBS, PGDip, is a doctor and senior lecturer in the physician associate MSc team at Queen Mary University of London. Her research interests are in the use of immersive technologies in medical education and embedding social accountability into the curriculum.