Sharmin Nazlee, Chow Ava K, Votta Dominic, Maeda Nathanial
School of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, College of Health Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Rehabilitation Robotics Lab, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Healthc Inform Res. 2022 Apr;28(2):170-175. doi: 10.4258/hir.2022.28.2.170. Epub 2022 Apr 30.
The study of biological materials under a microscope is known as histology, which is one of the most challenging subjects for students. Our objective was to develop a learning tool that can reduce the extrinsic load of studying histology and make learning enjoyable and flexible. We used augmented reality (AR) to create a cellphone application called Dental AR. With Dental AR, students can use their cellphones as dynamic flashcards to hide or reveal the annotations of a histology slide. Our application enables students to study, practice, and self-test oral histology knowledge at their own pace.
We used Unity3D with Vuforia to develop Dental AR. To generate a set of target images, oral histology glass slides were scanned and converted to digital images. Annotated versions of the slides were used as output for the corresponding target images. To understand user experiences and satisfaction with Dental AR, first-year dentistry students were invited to complete an online survey.
Dental AR was successfully developed and released on both the Apple and Google Play online app stores. The survey of dentistry students indicated overall satisfaction with Dental AR and willingness to use similar applications in other subjects.
Dental AR can be used for in-class activities, gamification, and providing students with practice questions to study and self-test outside the classroom. This application can be expanded in the future to incorporate more target images, videos, and interactive components to make learning histology less challenging and more enjoyable.
在显微镜下对生物材料进行研究被称为组织学，这是学生面临的最具挑战性的学科之一。我们的目标是开发一种学习工具，能够减轻学习组织学的外在负担，使学习变得有趣且灵活。我们利用增强现实（AR）创建了一款名为“牙科AR”的手机应用程序。借助“牙科AR”，学生可以将手机用作动态抽认卡来隐藏或显示组织学切片的注释。我们的应用程序使学生能够按照自己的节奏学习、练习和自我测试口腔组织学知识。
我们使用Unity3D和Vuforia开发“牙科AR”。为了生成一组目标图像，对口腔组织学载玻片进行扫描并转换为数字图像。带注释的玻片版本用作相应目标图像的输出。为了解用户对“牙科AR”的体验和满意度，邀请一年级牙科学生完成一项在线调查。
“牙科AR”已成功开发并在苹果和谷歌Play在线应用商店发布。对牙科学生的调查表明，他们对“牙科AR”总体满意，并愿意在其他学科中使用类似的应用程序。
“牙科AR”可用于课堂活动、游戏化，并为学生提供练习题以便在课外学习和自我测试。该应用程序未来可以扩展，纳入更多目标图像、视频和互动组件，使学习组织学不再那么具有挑战性，而是更加有趣。
