Labs
An-Najah University has adopted Virtual Reality (VR) as an innovative tool within medical education. Since 2022, ANNU has employed VR for research and development purposes, subsequently integrating it into the medical department to facilitate clinical practice among students. This technological advancement furnishes students with remarkably authentic learning encounters, enabling them to engage in immersive virtual scenarios featuring intelligent, interactive virtual patients.
The VR platform empowers students to execute procedures as required repetitively, tailored to their individual learning tempo and emphasizing areas necessitating improvement. Such an approach, unfeasible within real-world settings, furnishes tangible performance evaluations and personalized instructional direction. Furthermore, VR serves to enhance communication skills, emotional regulation, critical thinking, and clinical decision-making within a secure and readily accessible virtual environment.
Through the integration of a specialized authoring tool, ANNU possesses the capability to generate an array of medical training scenarios, encompassing rare ailments and intricate diagnostic scenarios. This expanded exposure surpasses the scope of hospital-based experiences, thereby augmenting students' proficiency in diverse international medical practices. ANNU's pioneering utilization of VR within clinical training establishes it as a trailblazer in medical education, endowing students with invaluable learning opportunities and comprehensively preparing them for forthcoming clinical endeavors.
At the dental department of An-Najah National University (NNU), we employ a cutting-edge dental virtual reality simulator technology to train dental students, as well as students of allied dental professions (Dental Lab Technology, Dental Nursing, Dental Maxillofacial Radiography and Dental Assisting Technology) effectively in a comprehensive and realistic way. This innovative approach integrates various technologies such as haptics, providing tactile feedback for a realistic sensation of dental procedures with virtual objects. Coupled with VR headsets, which create immersive 3D environments, students can engage in lifelike scenarios, fostering spractical learning experiences.
Additionally, data analytics and assessment tools offer instant feedback and performance evaluation, enabling students to track progress and identify areas for improvement.
Dental VR is a groundbreaking solution for dental education, heralding a disruptive learning approach that aligns with the evolving demands of enhanced training methods. This innovation comprises several pivotal aspects. Firstly, it delivers immersive realism, enabling students to engage with intricate 3D dental models and receive VR feedback. Immediate feedback facilitates swift correction of errors, expediting learning and facilitating self-assessment. Secondly, it fosters a risk-free practice environment, mitigating potential hazards inherent in traditional methods. Furthermore, Dental VR ensures standardized training experiences, ensuring consistent quality education for all students. Moreover, the flexibility and accessibility of VR simulators, alleviates the need for dedicated physical facilities. Additionally, the cost-efficiency of the technology reduces material consumption, waste generation, and maintenance expenses, rendering dental education more economically sustainable and time-saving. Furthermore, the utilization of Dental VR in scientific research offers an avenue for exploring new methodologies and advancing dental knowledge. Integrating such technologies into the dental curriculum enhances the relevance and effectiveness of educational programs, ensuring that students are equipped with cutting-edge skills, dexterity and knowledge essential for their future careers.
Dental VR has demonstrated its positive impact on students and society. As the first university in the Middle East and among the initial 20 dental schools worldwide to adopt this technology, NNU is poised to lead future collaborations, becoming a pioneering force in guiding other organizations and schools in innovative teaching methods. Students can practice procedures like cavity preparation, root canal treatments, prosthetic preparation and dental anesthesia resulting in increased hands-on experience and skill development. Students using dental VR report improved efficiency through accelerated skill acquisition, increased productivity due to accessibility, and cost savings as they reduce the need for traditional clinical materials and facilities allowing practice without limitations. Future programs may encompass infection control training, orthodontics, and oral pathology, designed by our innovative staff members.
The society dental professionals, who join classes of continuous dental learning at the university, use VR simulators for practice, reducing the need for time-consuming and costly in-person workshops.
The university's desire to keep pace with technological advancements had allocated financial resources to overcome the initial investment costs, additionally, training programs were designed to help instructors adapt to the new technology which aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including Goal 3 (Good Health), Goal 4 (Quality Education), and Goal 12 (Sustainable Consumption/Waste Production).
Supplemental resources:
- https://www.facebook.com/reel/1303251703645343
- https://nn.najah.edu/news/Alnajah/2023/01/10/440361/
- Leadership on the SDGs (unfoundation.org)
