For the first time in the country, a laboratory for research and development of virtual reality technology aiming at educational objectives has been established and equipped by center of e-learning and development of virtual reality education which is directed by deputy of education in Birjand University of Medical Science.

This center not only can generate many educational video clips based on virtual reality in theoretical and practical lessons of medical microbiology course of study in a way that all of them could be applied in classrooms, but also it gives the opportunity of using this technology in virtual assimilation of educational contents and concepts in all courses of medical sciences by interested faculty members of the university. 












By announcing this, Dr. Majid Zare Bidaki, associate professor in medical microbiology and director of e-learning and development of virtual reality education center in Birjand University of Medical Science added:

The technology of virtual reality is available for educational planners, and it is possible to present learning contents in a 100% virtual environment which is to a large extent similar to what is done in reality. Presenting such simulations is of great importance in particular, when it is not possible to present related scenarios in real life, for example in a classroom or an educational laboratory, or maybe it is dangerous or expensive and costly.









For example, using the technology of virtual
reality in microbiology course of study to simulate cytoplasm of a bacterial
cell in a 360°
space and imagining three dimensions of its elements from an inner side, and to
learn the structure of bacterial cell are full of excitement for learners; it
is also attractive and profounding, and it is completely different from works
that have been possible to present until now.
Learners have access to
a virtual laboratory (Virtual
lab) which provides the
opportunity to know equipment and advanced systems and they have the chance to
work with them, to do experiments or even work with chemicals or dangerous
microorganism in a virtual way.
Medical students and
medical assistants have access to clinical simulations that is another
possibility which gives them the opportunity to perform the dissection of the
organs of the body, perform physical examinations in rare medical conditions
and finally practice some surgeries in a virtual way.
Furthermore, access to
simulated models of expensive or dangerous machines in the field of medical
technologies facilitate learning the mechanism of such machines to a great
extent.
For example, learning
the principle and the mechanism of medical radiological devices or knowing the
process of producing radio-medicines with the help of related simulations, are
some new and effective ways of reducing costs and eliminating dangers inherent
in these types of education.











Dr. Zare continued,
designing, producing and supplying
(educational simulations based on virtual reality(VR-based e-contents)
are followed by universities and knowledge-based companies in advanced
countries in a fast and competitive way.
More than great effects
of these technological contents on facilitating learning (and also in medical
treatments and health care), supplying this type of knowledge-based products,
selling them extensively and the high amount of income generation are some
reasons that stabilize the title of third generation universities and make this
group of universities and the productive scientific centers to be considered as
a scientific reference.
Scientific/academic websites are created
increasingly aiming at supplying simulations based on virtual reality in the
field of medicine that are visited more than hundred times a day in lots of
countries all over the world and this is confirming the fact
of applying virtual reality.
It is obvious that when
such different types of educational contents is indexed asthe most visited sections of a university website, it is
effective onwebometric
ranking of the university and it has obvious effect on the position of that
university in international ranking system and as a result it attracts the attention
of applicants to get admission of that university.
Director of e-learning center in Birjand
University of Medical Science said: unfortunately, there is a gap between the
technology of virtual reality and medical education in our country. We hope,
what we have presented with this technology, can be an initiation for creating
simulators and virtual educational laboratories in Persian language.
Dr. Zare added: technology of virtual reality is relatively expensive and
it demands for serious support by deputy of ministry of health and medical
education. Virtual medical university can be considered as the base platform of
development for this technology in the field of medical science in the country
and Birjand University of Medical Science is proudly ready to share its
experiences in this field with virtual university of medical science.