Virtual reality in craniomaxillofacial surgical planning education. A feasibility study on usability, cognitive load, and perceived educational outcomes
Loading...
Author (Corporation)
Publication date
2026
Type of student thesis
Course of study
Type
01A - Journal article
Editors
Editor (Corporation)
Supervisor
Parent work
Applied Sciences
Special issue
DOI of the original publication
Link
Related research data
Series
Series number
Volume
16
Issue / Number
13
Pages / Duration
6492
Patent number
Publisher / Publishing institution
MDPI
Place of publication / Event location
Edition
Version
Programming language
Assignee
Practice partner / Client
Abstract
Introduction: Digital surgical planning in craniomaxillofacial (CMF) surgery requires biomedical engineers who can navigate complex 3D anatomical data confidently, yet most engineering training programmes still rely on static 2D methods. This study evaluated the usability, cognitive demands, and perceived educational outcomes of a clinically derived virtual reality (VR) surgical planning platform for master’s-level biomedical engineering students. Methods: A cross-sectional feasibility study was conducted assessing usability with the System Usability Scale (SUS), cognitive load with a modified NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX), and perceived educational outcomes using domain-specific rating scales, with open-ended responses analysed thematically. Results: Twelve of 15 enrolled students completed the survey (80% response rate). The platform achieved a mean SUS score of 72.5 (Above Average), with comparable scores across prior VR experience levels. All NASA-TLX demand dimensions remained below the scale midpoint. All participants rated VR as more engaging than traditional methods, and 91.7% rated the virtual anatomical models as realistic. Self-reported spatial reasoning benefits were most notable in landmark identification, while outcomes for translating digital-to-surgical planning were more limited. Haptic feedback was the most requested enhancement. Conclusions: VR surgical planning tools appear feasible to integrate into biomedical engineering training. Future studies should incorporate objective outcome measures and comparison groups to establish effectiveness.
Keywords
Subject (DDC)
Event
Exhibition start date
Exhibition end date
Conference start date
Conference end date
Date of the last check
ISBN
ISSN
2076-3417
Language
English
Created during FHNW affiliation
Yes
Strategic action fields FHNW
Publication status
Published
Review
peer-reviewed
Open access category
Gold
License
Citation
Sharma, N., Foehn, V., Zubizarreta‐Oteiza, J., Seiler, D., & Thieringer, F. M. (2026). Virtual reality in craniomaxillofacial surgical planning education. A feasibility study on usability, cognitive load, and perceived educational outcomes. Applied Sciences, 16(13), 6492. https://doi.org/10.3390/app16136492