Introduction to Innovative Learning
The University of Rhode Island has introduced recent virtual and augmented reality applications to boost learning for college students in biomedical science classes. This progressive approach is the results of a collaboration between the university’s ITS – Innovative Learning Technologies program, the 3D Science Visualization Teaching program, and the Rhode Island IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (RI-INBRE) Molecular Informatics Core (MIC). The apps have already shown a track record of success in creating interactive and interesting learning experiences.
Virtual and Augmented Reality Apps
The apps are designed to assist students visualize molecules and master complex science concepts. They have been positively reviewed by student users and may be utilized by visiting middle and highschool students fascinated by STEM topics and students at other colleges. The first app developed focused on aspirin, offering a virtual museum with five rooms: introduction, precursor salicylic acid as a natural product, history and development, applications and alternatives, and pharmacology and biochemistry.
Featured Apps
Other apps have been developed, including one on the anticancer drug methotrexate (MTX). This app allows students to see how the drug targets a component enzyme, with interactive quizzes and molecular animations that provide an in depth take a look at drug actions. Another app focuses on cell culture, a vital laboratory technique that’s being increasingly implemented across various disciplines. The app mimics a contemporary cell culture laboratory, enabling students to learn techniques in a secure environment before transitioning to wet lab training.
Benefits of Virtual and Augmented Reality
The use of virtual and augmented reality has been shown to boost student learning and engagement. According to Bongsup Cho, director of INBRE, "This immersive and interactive experience helps students grasp the spatial arrangements and structural features that dictate drug motion." The apps also can create a ‘Wow 3D’ factor, enabling students to see how drug effects unfold at a cellular level, which is likely to be difficult to convey using traditional teaching methods.
Student Feedback and Success
The apps have received positive feedback from students, with many reporting increased confidence of their understanding of complex science concepts. In pre-surveys for the MTX app, half of the scholars thought it would help them learn MTX’s mechanisms, but this number increased dramatically to 96% within the app’s post-survey. The apps have also been useful through the pandemic when the college switched to distant learning, providing students with a ‘hands-on’ experience before entering into a lab.
Future Developments
The team behind the apps plans to expand the scope of apps available to other colleges at URI and to other institutions within the RI-INBRE network. An app for URI’s Medicinal Garden in augmented reality form can be pending. The paper on the apps has already been downloaded over 800 times since publication, and the team will present an illustration of the apps on the Educause annual conference in October.
Conclusion
The use of virtual and augmented reality apps in biomedical science classes on the University of Rhode Island has shown great promise in enhancing student learning and engagement. With positive feedback from students and plans for future developments, these progressive tools are set to revolutionize the best way science is taught and learned. By providing interactive and immersive experiences, the apps may help students master complex science concepts and develop a deeper understanding of the material. As the team continues to expand and improve the apps, they’re prone to have a major impact on science education, each at URI and beyond.
