Development and Validation of a Virtual Teaching Method for Minimally Invasive Surgery Skills

The goal of this observational study is to develop and evaluate a virtual teaching method for minimally invasive surgery (MIS) skills among novice learners, using widely available technology and incorporating objective assessments of proficiency. The main questions it aims to answer are: Can MIS skills be effectively taught to novice learners through a virtual platform using widely available technology? How do virtual and face-to-face (F2F) teaching methods compare in terms of effectiveness, measured by performance in MIS tasks and cognitive workload parameters? Participants in this study will: Be randomly allocated to either F2F or virtual teaching groups. Undergo training and evaluation using validated laparoscopic assessments, namely the McGill Inanimate System for Training and Evaluation of Laparoscopic Skills (MISTELS) peg transfer task and the European Academy laparoscopic 'Suturing Training and Testing' (SUTT) assessment. Have their performance and cognitive workload parameters (SURG-TLX score, heart rate, and pupil metrics) evaluated during the tasks.