Traditionally, there are three primary ways to learn anatomy outside the classroom. Books provide foundational knowledge but are limited in terms of object manipulation for deeper exploration. Three-dimensional (3D) software programs produced by companies including Biosphera, Sciencein3D, and Anatomage allow deeper exploration but are often costly, offered through restrictive licenses, or require expensive hardware. A new approach to teaching anatomy is to utilize virtual reality (VR) environments. The Virginia–Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine and University Libraries have partnered to create open education–licensed VR anatomical programs for students to freely download, access, and use. The first and most developed program is the canine model. After beta testing, this program was integrated into the first-year students' physical examination labs in fall 2019. The VR program enabled students to walk through the VR dog model to build their conceptual knowledge of the location of certain anatomical features and then apply that knowledge to live animals. This article briefly discusses the history, pedagogical goals, system requirements, and future plans of the VR program to further enrich student learning experiences.

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虚拟解剖：扩大兽医学生的学习

传统上，有三种在课堂外学习解剖学的主要方法。书籍提供了基础知识，但在用于更深入探索的对象操作方面受到限制。由 Biosphera、Sciencein3D 和 Anatomage 等公司生产的三维 (3D) 软件程序允许进行更深入的探索，但通常成本高昂，需要通过限制性许可证提供，或者需要昂贵的硬件。教授解剖学的一种新方法是利用虚拟现实 (VR) 环境。弗吉尼亚-马里兰兽医学院和大学图书馆合作创建了开放教育许可的 VR 解剖程序，供学生免费下载、访问和使用。第一个也是最发达的程序是犬模型。经过beta测试，这个程序被整合到一年级学生的 2019 年秋季的体检实验室。 VR 计划使学生能够通过 VR 狗模型建立他们对某些解剖特征位置的概念性知识，然后将这些知识应用于活体动物。本文简要讨论了 VR 项目的历史、教学目标、系统要求和未来计划，以进一步丰富学生的学习体验。