With the opening of a remarkable virtual reality (VR) lab this fall and collaboration with Perspectus, a virtual and mixed reality technology company based in Colorado, students at the University of Charleston in West Virginia (UCWV) will be able to study human anatomy in 3D.
“We are excited to offer virtual reality technology to enhance student learning,” said Marty Roth, University of Charleston President.
In specialized healthcare programs like nursing, radiology, and physician assistant, as well as in foundational courses like anatomy and physiology, Perspectus offers the potential to revolutionize learning. The highly adjustable, three-dimensional imaging significantly increases students’ comprehension levels.
To enhance career preparation, the institution can also collaborate with its hospital and other healthcare partner organizations to incorporate the content that students will encounter throughout their clinical rotations, externships, and other applied to learning contexts.
The UCWV lab, which will be finished in August 2022, is one of the nation’s most high-tech VR Education Labs. It has 30 high-powered computers that can leverage Perspectus VR technology and high-resolution headsets. By spring 2023, the university will use the lab in numerous programs, including those for physician assistants, radiologic science, nursing, and biology.
Users of Perspectus VR can manipulate anatomical structures, observe them from every aspect, and increase them to any size in a virtual environment. Layers can be added, removed, marked, or colored in many ways to demonstrate the interconnected elements of muscle, blood vessels, and bones. Users can also render radiological images of patients, such as MRI or CT scans, so that they can see them in three dimensions.
“No matter how accurate a textbook or digital image is, there will always be a breakdown in communication and understanding when students are shown two-dimensional versions of three-dimensional structures. Perspectus VR solves this problem by showing images as they appear in nature – eliminating the need to translate the data,” said Erick Miranda, Chief Operating Officer of Perspectus.
In West Virginia, the University of Charleston is the largest and fastest-growing private, nonprofit institution of higher learning. Using its patented software platform, Perspectus, a Denver, Colorado-based company, leads the VR sector by offering solutions to users in higher education, healthcare, and business.
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