Reimagining laboratory-based immunology education in the time of COVID-19

The pandemic has brought challenges to teaching lab and research skills. Here Nigel Francis and colleagues explore the diverse approaches taken to replace lab-based immunology teaching, explain how networks of educators have driven this innovation and discuss the importance of retaining best practice into the future

Can Virtual Reality (VR) enhance students’ learning experience?

Immunology is a fascinating yet complex subject area to teach undergraduate students, mostly due to the vast specialised vocabulary and complex processes associated with the topic. One solution to this challenge is to embrace innovative digital technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR), which immerses users in an interactive environment and encourages them to actively participate in their own learning. This alternative teaching model also creates an inclusive learning environment, allowing students to learn at their own pace, aiding their comprehension of the material. Here we describe the development and implementation of a novel VR simulation at the University of Glasgow. The bespoke ‘Battling Infection’ VR simulation takes place inside the human body: students visit different anatomical sites in their quest to eradicate an infection caused by the bacterium Salmonella, interacting with and choosing the appropriate immune cells to do so. We explored how this innovative resource could support medical and life sciences students with their understanding of immunity to infection. Following the interactive VR session, students completed a voluntary questionnaire to enable us to determine the impact this digital tool had on their learning experience. Most students surveyed agreed the VR simulation enhanced their understanding of the topic and helped them to visualise the complex processes of host immunity. Some participants commented on the discomfort of the headset and others suffered motion sickness, issues commonly reported within VR technology. Overall, this study found that the VR simulation was an innovative model of educational delivery which enhances the student learning experience and helped students to conceptualise complex information. Future work will focus on student knowledge retention using this method of teaching, in addition to developing further resources to supplement the VR simulation and exploring immune responses to other pathogens

‘I felt as if I was there’ - Can Virtual Reality (VR) Enhance Students’ Learning Experience of Immunology Teaching?

Immunology, the study of the body’s immune system, is a challenging topic for undergraduate students who often find it difficult to conceptualise and recall. Immunology teaching in the undergraduate medicine (MBChB) course has traditionally been delivered via didactic lectures and problem-based learning. Virtual Reality (VR) technology is posited to offer an immersive environment that encourages active participation with the subject matter. At the University of Glasgow, investment into VR technology was driven by a 2017 VR Teaching Ideas competition, to which a ‘Battling Infection’ simulation was pitched. Development of the bespoke simulation was completed as part of Project Mobius, an Innovate UK-funded project, in collaboration with industry partner Sublime Digital (now Project Edify, https://www.edify.ac/). Development costs for ‘Battling Infection’ are estimated at £40k. The aim of this study is to investigate how VR can be used to support student engagement with challenging subjects, like immunology, and therefore support learning and greater understanding in that subject. We implemented the custom ‘Battling Infection’ simulation using VR technology with head-mounted displays and hand controls for 330 medical students in academic year 2022-23. Students enter the VR simulation in the human intestine, whereupon they discover an infection caused by the bacterium Salmonella. Their task is to select the appropriate immune response to effectively eliminate the infection, visiting different parts of the body (lymph nodes, bloodstream) as they do so. Prior to attending the VR simulation, students completed an online pre-lab activity, hosted on Lt online physiology software (https://www.adinstruments.com/lt). The pre-lab activity contained short questions and information about general concepts related to Salmonella infection. After the in-person VR task, students were invited to complete a voluntary subjective learning experience exit survey. A high proportion of medical students took part in the survey (233, 71% of cohort). For most medical students (131/233, 56%), it was their first experience of VR. Feedback described the experience as ‘immersive’ and ‘realistic’: “I felt like I was actually in the body and could explore and see what was happening”. For students, the interactivity “put [the] learning in context”, echoing findings of previous studies (e.g. Fabris et al, 2019). Furthermore, students self-reported that the VR simulation enhanced their understanding of the immune response (198/223, 89% agreed or strongly agreed). Negative comments related to the location (at the University’s VR lab in Partick Burgh Hall) and the short length of the experience (~15-20 minutes per student). The next phase of the study will explore the experiences of undergraduate life sciences (BSc) students (n= 265), who will complete the same VR simulation and be offered the opportunity to complete the survey in March 2023. We aim to explore students’ perceptions of the VR simulation from the two cohorts and examine differences or similarities between each. Thus far, the study raises some intriguing questions regarding the value of curriculum-enhancing experiences such as VR simulation. Undergraduate medical students placed high worth on the chance to experience and actively participate during the VR simulation. Whether this leads to better retention of knowledge remains to be explored

‘I felt as if I was there’ - Can Virtual Reality (VR) Enhance Students’ Learning Experience of Immunology Teaching?

No abstract available