AEducAR3.0: An Exciting Hybrid Educational Platform for a Comprehensive Neuroanatomy Learning

Anatomical education is essential for medical students and future surgeons. Currently, training on cadavers represents the main instructional tool able to provide effective three-dimensional (3D) and topographical comprehension. Innovative technologies like Augmented Reality (AR) and 3D printing may offer additional educational tools with great potential. This study aimed to present AEducAR3.0, a “hybrid” educational platform exploiting both AR and 3D printing technologies for neuroanatomy learning. The platform is an evolution of preliminary experiences on orbital and facial anatomies. As novelty, AEducAR3.0 allows to study neuroanatomy at different learning levels: 1. Notional Learning; 2. Notional Learning in the Context; 3. Topographical learning. Three consecutive learning phases are provided, with integrated testing sessions and practical tasks on 3D-printed phantoms at each learning level. We experienced the platform with 70 second-year medical students of the University of Bologna, who had not yet taken any traditional lectures on neuroanatomy. The results demonstrated that AEducAR3.0 is technically sound and may facilitate neuroanatomy learning and students’ engagement. Students appreciated the interactive features of the tool and the integrated quizzes during the learning session. Results showed that the provided quizzes were well-balanced in terms of difficulty (mean rate of correct answers of 60%, 70% and 58%, for Levels 1, 2, and 3 respectively). Overall, about half of the students (51%) scored higher than sufficient. AEducAR3.0 is intended to be a comprehensive tool that may contribute to increasing long-term memory retention and understanding of the 3D spatial arrangement of anatomical structures, preparing the learner also for surgical practice.