AR Simulation of Ruminant Stomachs: Digital Teaching Media for Veterinary Students 

The Faculty of Veterinary Science and the Chulalongkorn University Learning Innovation Center have developed an AR simulation of the stomachs of ruminants. This interactive technology allows students to learn about the digestive system and internal organs realistically. The platform is accessible via a web browser, minimizing reliance on animal carcasses and enabling students to share content collaboratively with other institutions. 

Knowledge and understanding of animal anatomy are considered the heart of being a veterinarian. Associate Professor Kongkiat Srisuwatanasagul, Assistant Dean for Information Management and Digital Life, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, compares it to that of the structure of a building. 

“Studying anatomy is like the structure of a building. Before it can be built, it must have a strong structure. Similarly, to be a veterinarian, you must have a good understanding of animal anatomy as the foundation for further clinical learning.” 

For this reason, a lecturer of Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Veterinary Science has been committed to developing realistic anatomy teaching media to provide students with comprehensive and in-depth knowledge and understanding, whether it is using the headmaster’s cadaver, photographic technology, video recording, etc. Today, Assoc. Prof. Kongkiat has developed AR (Augmented Reality) technology to simulate the stomachs of a ruminant, which can be accessed via a web-based platform to allow students to learn the digestive system of ruminants as realistically as possible. 

“Learning anatomy requires a more realistic dimension than learning from two-dimensional images. Even when studying real organs placed on a laboratory table, the organs can lose their natural shape and flatten, making it difficult for students to visualize how the digestive system functions. Also, during the COVID-19 period, online learning was a pain point: how can students see the organs realistically”? 

AR Simulations of the Stomach of Ruminants 

Learning about the stomachs of ruminants is essential for veterinary students. As Assoc. Prof. Kongkiat explains, “Some diseases occur in the stomach, such as bloating. So, if students fail to understand the mechanism of the stomach and how it works, they will not be able to find the specific location of the trouble in the stomach. Or when ruminants eat foreign objects, such as nails or wires used to tie straw, the front of the stomach contracts and punctures the diaphragm. Students must first know the position of the stomach structure before they can apply this knowledge to clinical practice.” 

The AR teaching media simulating the rumination system of the Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, has been developed into the most complete 3D interactive structure, consisting of 2 parts: 

• Digestive System: showing rumination that transports food to the stomach in 4 parts: rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum 
• Cross-Section & Anatomy: showing each part of the stomach and arteries in different dimensions, such as the top, sides, and back. 

“Interactive technology like AR will help students understand the digestive system more thoroughly. When students click on the image, they will see food pass from the esophagus into the first part of the stomach, which is the resting stomach called the rumen. When they click on the next part, they will see food pass into the stomach, called the reticulum, and regurgitate to chew the cud, then pass into the remaining part of the stomach and continue to the intestines.” 

For the AR that shows a cross-sectional image of the stomach, Assoc. Prof. Kongkiat explains, “In the past, students viewing cross-sectional stomach images in PowerPoint presentations might have struggled to visualize their actual three-dimensional structure. When we use AR to help explain, when clicking on the stomach image on AR, we see the stomach cut in half and rotate the stomach structure around. We see the blood vessels that nourish the stomach from the front, sides, and back and how they work in connection with each other.” 

Before Becoming AR to Simulate the Stomach of Ruminants 

The invention of AR to simulate the stomach of ruminants was supported by Chulalongkorn University’s Learning Innovation Center with a development fund of 400,000 baht and was developed by alumni from the Faculty of Engineering. 

“The development of the AR program began with a discussion between the lecturer and the developer. After that, the lecturer let the developer come and see the real organs on the day of the class to see what the structure and color of the stomach look like when opened inside. The small organs have names for each part. People who did not study will not understand these structures.” 

“In addition, we also discussed and prepared various contents, showing the structures from the drawings in the textbooks to the developers, both real organs and models, to create understanding. After that, the developers will develop and draw pictures for them to see. The lecturer will adjust and edit the details,” Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kongkiat related to us about the AR development process, which took 6-12 months to fully complete. 

Developing Teaching Media from the Body of the Teacher to AR 

Assoc. Prof. Kongkiat talked about the problems and efforts involved in the invention of new teaching media that will help students better understand animal anatomy, saying, “In the past, when studying anatomy, veterinary students studied from the body of the teacher or real animal carcasses. The first generation of teachers came from a decommissioned animal training farm. After that, teachers were used from a slaughterhouse, or organs were brought from a slaughterhouse. Sometimes when the organs were brought out for study, the condition was different from that in the animal’s body, causing students to not understand and not be able to imagine what the real organs in the animal’s body looked like.” 

Assoc. Prof. Kongkiat solved this problem by having a medical photographer record a video and upload it to Chulalongkorn University’s myCourseVille so that students could watch it later. However, there was still a problem because students only saw still images. Or when performing stomach surgery for students to watch, after a while the organs would become flat, unlike when they were alive. 

AR: Borderless Teaching Media 

The AR model of the stomach organ of ruminants proves to be useful not only for studying animal anatomy for veterinary students at Chulalongkorn University but also contributes to the learning for veterinary students in other institutions both domestically and internationally. In Thailand, this learning media has been distributed to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Kasetsart University and Mahidol University. 

“Various institutions said that our AR helps students learn quite well and would like to have cooperation and develop AR together, including sharing content.” 

Assoc. Prof. Kongkiat agrees with the idea of ​​cooperation in developing teaching media between various institutions. 

“In developing teaching media for veterinary students, we should find a network of cooperation. Each university should share content. Some ARs have already been developed, so we can avoid doing the same thing over and over again.” 

AR Development Plan for Future Veterinary Students 

From the success of the AR simulation of stomach organs of ruminants, Assoc. Prof. Kongkiat has commenced his plans for the next AR teaching media. 

“We are currently talking with the clinical department and the surgery department to develop AR for use in student training procedures, such as training to use a camera inside the animal’s body realistically without using real animals. In addition, there may be a further development in using tablets or mobile phones to control and simulate endoscopes.” 

Although AR is a trend in new-age teaching media that has received attention, this technology is not suitable for all teaching content, Assoc. Prof. Kongkiat observed. 

“We must set clear goals for what areas we want to use AR to enhance students’ understanding. It does not have to be AR for everything. There may be other media to help increase understanding in learning. For example, currently, AI or Machine Learning technology tends to be used more. If we use AI in teaching, such as looking at cancer cells or checking for heat, it will lead to more development in the future.” 

The Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, is ready to develop teaching media to keep up with technology, in line with the vision of “a leading veterinary educational institution that develops knowledge, researches, and creates innovations that are accepted regionally and internationally to create Thai society towards sustainable development.” 

To view the AR simulation of ruminants, click here: https://mycourseville-default.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/public/content/RuminantDigestiveSystem/index.html. 

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