Bundaberg TAFE nursing students were given a unique insight into the human body thanks to a Bundaberg Regional Library virtual reality (VR) session.
Bundaberg Regional Council’s Information Services librarian Stephen Harris provided a demonstration on the Orgenon 3D program, a tool specifically designed for medical students.
Student Leesa Philips, studying a Diploma of Nursing through TAFE Queensland, said it was an incredibly beneficial session.
“It’s awesome – it’s like being inside the body,” Leesa said.
“You can see the parts, how they’re made up, what’s connected to what, it’s really cool.
“It’s a lot better than a textbook.”
Leesa said she thought it was such a good learning experience that she’d be keen to see it used more.
“It’s like you’re in that room and physically pulling that body apart and looking at everything – it’s not like you’re in a computer.
“It breaks it right down to the nerves, everything, things you can’t pick up from a text book.”
Library virtual reality available for public to use
Stephen said it was a pleasure to showcase the library's virtual reality technology.
“We have this VR equipment because libraries, as information hubs, have a responsibility to expose the public to emerging technologies,” Stephen said.
“A lot of the time it’s used for learning experiences and simply sometimes just for the experience itself.”
He said he thought the technology would become much more prevalent in future.
“VR is starting to come into its own. It’s being used with a lot of programs with seniors, empathy programs to help doctors to relate to patients and it’s also used for game based learning in schools.
“It is moving very, very rapidly.
“The expenditure on VR is going to go from $7.2 billion which it currently is to about $64 billion in the next five years so it’s really going to become common place.”
He encouraged anyone interested in VR to experience it for themselves by booking in to use it free of charge at the library.
“You can experience perception, virtual reality which is like a heights, fear of heights concept, there’s Orgenon, there’s gaming programs such as space pirates and zombies games.
“There’s also educational games like number hunt and storytelling games.
“The plank experience is one that people quite like because of that adrenaline that it brings not many people have that opportunity to walk out on a plank on a skyscraper and its very realistic.
“They get quite terrified as they do it.
Leesa agreed.
“I would say have a go,” she said.
“I haven’t experienced anything like that it’s a good learning thing.”
To book a supervised VR session at Bundaberg Regional Library call 4130 4140.
