Artificial intelligence-enhanced virtual reality for pathology education

The implementation of innovative active learning pedagogies in education enhances students' engagement and information retention compared to traditional passive learning. An immersive virtual environment, operated through head-mounted displays or headsets, enables learners to deeply engage with simulated scenarios fostering an interactive experience. While extended reality (XR) technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) have demonstrated significant potential to enhance learner engagement and knowledge retention through immersive and interactive environments, their application remains underexplored in pathology education. This gap is problematic because pathology teaching relies heavily on linking microscopic pathology with clinical and radiographic manifestations-a process that benefits from spatial and integrative visualization. Without immersive tools such as VR, the newest generation of learners may struggle to connect these multi-dimensional facets of disease. This article explores an innovative VR room architecture for pathology education providing a vivid and immersive learning environment tailored for first year pathology residents, and predoctoral dental and medical students.