XR in Interprofessional Learning: Facilitating Engineering-Medicine Interactions

Abstract

The goal of this study is to determine if extended reality methods can efficiently be used to promote interprofessional learning between biomedical engineers and medical learners. In order to test this, we created an educational virtual reality module to be run in a graduate level biomedical engineering design course. Students participating in this module learned how to segment medical images (CT/MRI images, anonymized image data received from University of Michigan medical systems) into accurate 3-D models using Mimics software, and how to creatively place those models into a VR world using the Unity game engine. Students met with medical learners and clinicians to discuss the pathology and anatomy of their 3D model and to gain relevant knowledge to use during their showcase. On the showcase day of the module, students presented their 3D models in VR via an Oculus headset to instructors, peers, and clinicians. The module was successfully implemented in successfully implemented it in Prof. Stegemann’s BIOMEDE 599 class in the fall of 2021 and winter of 2023.