M.S. Candidate: Hanifi Tuğşad Kaya
Program: Bioinformatics
Date: 18.07.2023 / 10:30
Place: A-212

Abstract: When working in any informatics field, it is necessary to understand the core mechanisms of the domain. This is also true in the field of bioinformatics. At least a basic understanding of the biological subject to be studied is required. However, understanding biological phenomena is not always easy. Sometimes the biological complexity of the events and the difficulty of visualizing the events cause difficulties in understanding the subject. This is particularly important in the field of education. For educational purposes, various biological events are described in writing or illustrated. In some cases, newer technologies such as Virtual (VR) and Mixed Reality (MR) are used to make training more effective. In this study, an interactive simulation of the response of white blood cells, one of the elements of the body's defense system, against bacteria in the blood vessel was prepared in a 3D environment. This interactive demonstration was tested and evaluated by the participants. The application was tested in PC, VR, and MR environments and participants were asked to fill out various questionnaires. With the questions asked, answers were sought to the questions of whether the participants found such an application effective and which platform they found most effective for such an application. As a result of the studies conducted on 27 volunteers, it was determined that the users found such an interactive learning process effective, and they preferred the VR platform the most for such content.