Perceived Educational Utility of Hands-On 3D-Printed Models for Teaching MRI Image Quality Concepts to Radiography Students

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate radiography students’ perceptions of the usefulness of hands-on 3D-printed models for supporting their understanding of key image quality concepts in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Students’ views on the perceived contribution of these models to their learning experience, confidence, and independent learning were also evaluated. Methods: This questionnaire-based study included 79 students. Three 3D-printed MRI model sets were designed and fabricated for use in hands-on teaching sessions. Following the sessions, participants completed a seven-item questionnaire divided into two sections. The first section assessed students’ perceptions of the teaching value of each model set, whereas the second section assessed students’ perceived learning benefits. Likert-scale responses were summarized descriptively, and the internal consistency of the seven-item questionnaire was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. Results: In terms of the perceived teaching value of the models, the highest proportion of “strongly agree” responses were observed for pixel–voxel dimensionality and voxel geometry model sets, with 58 (73.4%) and 55 (69.6%), respectively. Regarding students’ perceived learning benefits, students strongly agreed that the 3D-printed MRI models supported their confidence, independent learning, and learning experience in understanding MRI image-quality concepts, with 49 (62%), 47 (59.5%), and 46 (58.2%), respectively. The seven-item questionnaire demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.896, 95% CI [0.835, 0.957]). Conclusion: Radiography students expressed strong favorable views regarding the hands-on use of 3D-printed models and perceived them as helpful tools for visualizing core MRI image quality concepts.