Passive vs. Active Virtual Reality Learning: The Effects on Short- and Long-Term Memory of Anatomical Structures
Andrew S. Phelps, Alicia Fritchle, H. Hoffman · Studies in health technology and informatics · 2004
This pilot study compares the differences in learning outcomes when students are presented with either an active (student-centered) or passive (teacher-centered) virtual reality-based anatomy lesson. The "active" lesson used UCSD's Anatomic VisualizeR and enabled students to interact with 3D models and control presentation of learning materials. The "passive" lesson used a digital recording of an anatomical expert's tour of the same VR lesson played back as a QuickTime movie. Subsequent examination of the recall and retention of the studied anatomic objects were comparable in both groups. Issues underlying these results are discussed.