Development and Pre-Validation of a Gamified Virtual Reality Platform for SPECT Education and Training

This paper proposes a conceptual virtual reality platform for Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) education, designed to address the constraints of conventional training, including restricted access to imaging equipment, high costs, and radiation exposure. The platform is intended for development in Unity for the Meta Quest 3 headset and integrates three elements: immersive procedural simulation, gamification, and Learning Analytics paired with Biomedical Engineering performance metrics. Its central contribution is a five-layer architecture that links simulated SPECT procedures to quantitative indicators such as completion time, positioning accuracy, and procedural errors, supporting objective, competency-based assessment. The authors report that their literature review identified no comparable framework combining these three components.

The work is explicitly preliminary. Evaluation to date has been limited to conceptual assessment of pedagogical alignment, technical feasibility on Unity and Meta Quest 3, and the capacity of the proposed metrics to support assessment. No experimental data on learning effectiveness are reported, and the framework has not yet been implemented.

To guide future empirical work, the authors propose three testable hypotheses: that the platform will produce higher engagement than conventional instruction (H1), that the Biomedical Engineering metrics will reliably indicate procedural competency (H2), and that learners will perceive the platform as usable and educationally valuable (H3). Planned validation involves Biomedical Engineering and Medical Imaging students as well as Nuclear Medicine professionals, using the System Usability Scale, engagement measures, and performance data. Results from these studies will determine whether the framework's conceptual promise translates into demonstrated educational value.