In Vitra – Integrated virtual and traditional anatomy
The In Vitra project is the impuls at the Medical University Vienna and the educational institutes of the innovation area Eastern Austria / Western Slovakia that aims to optimize theoretical and clinically associated anatomical teaching methods by adding the use of virtual reality (VR)
Link to homepage of our partner: Comenius University Bratislava
In Vitra is a cross-border EU project of the Medical University Vienna and the medical faculty of the Comenius University (LFUK) Bratislava, financed by the Interreg Slovakia-Austria - European Regional Development Fund. Together, these two universities will purchase VR hard- and software components, establish and exchange the relevant know-how and develop appropriate teaching formats that will be integrated in the curriculum of medical students. The new teaching infrastructure will modernize and further improve the quality of teaching methods in medical and medicine-associated professions in the region of eastern Austria and western Slovakia. The project is therefore also supported by the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research, the City of Vienna, and multiple local Universities of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschulen).
In Vitra focuses on the anatomical teaching and elaboration of anatomical knowledge in pre-clinical and clinical study areas. The specific goal is, to help students understand and grasp three-dimensional human structures as well as their layers and positions faster and easier by introducing VR-teaching methods. Therefore, facilities for assisted VR-self-studying have been established and innovative concepts for VR-assisted teaching in small groups have been developed, tested, evaluated and integrated in the curricula of both universities. New formats of anatomical teaching, the combination of real and virtual objects have been developed.
The project started in 2020 and will end in December 2022. The VR-infrastructure and new teaching formats developed through the In Vitra project will provide the basis for a comprehensive digitalization concept. This will be further expanded in the following years, continuously improved and established to complement the dissecting practices on real objects.
