Virtual Reality vs Traditional Education to Pre-Clinic Dental Students

Objective The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of utilizing VR in dental radiographic anatomical Interpretation in dental education on first-year students and whether this can enhance student learning, engagement, and performance. Methods The study was conducted at Dental College, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 69 students were divided into a control group and an experimental group. The control group received the conventional educational method of PowerPoint presentation. the Experimental group received the same educational material using VR interactive software viewed using VR headsets. After that, both groups were subjected to an online quiz to identify different anatomical landmarks on dental panoramic radiographs. Results The mean scores for the VR and PowerPoint groups are 9.88 and 11.66 respectively. The difference in the mean scores of these two groups shows a highly statistically significant difference, where the PowerPoint group had higher mean scores of correct responses when compared with the mean scores of correct responses of VR group (p=0.004). The VR group study subjects have been asked for their perceptions towards VR Experience to assess the effectiveness of virtual education. A total of 15 positive statements have been used. Conclusions Using virtual reality alone in the classroom requires further investigation, but currently, it has some limitations that prohibit it from fully replacing PowerPoint presentations. However, the students report that using Virtual reality for oral radiographic anatomy seems to enhance the learning experience by enabling them to interact with and engage with course material more effectively. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of utilizing VR in dental radiographic anatomical Interpretation in dental education on first-year students and whether this can enhance student learning, engagement, and performance. The study was conducted at Dental College, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 69 students were divided into a control group and an experimental group. The control group received the conventional educational method of PowerPoint presentation. the Experimental group received the same educational material using VR interactive software viewed using VR headsets. After that, both groups were subjected to an online quiz to identify different anatomical landmarks on dental panoramic radiographs. The mean scores for the VR and PowerPoint groups are 9.88 and 11.66 respectively. The difference in the mean scores of these two groups shows a highly statistically significant difference, where the PowerPoint group had higher mean scores of correct responses when compared with the mean scores of correct responses of VR group (p=0.004). The VR group study subjects have been asked for their perceptions towards VR Experience to assess the effectiveness of virtual education. A total of 15 positive statements have been used. Using virtual reality alone in the classroom requires further investigation, but currently, it has some limitations that prohibit it from fully replacing PowerPoint presentations. However, the students report that using Virtual reality for oral radiographic anatomy seems to enhance the learning experience by enabling them to interact with and engage with course material more effectively.