Visual Novels in Maxillofacial Surgery Education: A Hidden Gem

Visual novels are vital learning tools that promote student satisfaction and help them acquire the skills and knowledge needed to solve problems. They use interactive narrative designs to create a list of effective teaching strategies to enhance user experience. The practical use of these resources would require orienting learners to online training to improve their understanding of content. Educators must recognize the uniqueness of online learning designs and tools to develop effective strategies to enhance user understanding and improve student-teacher interactions. Visual novels' effectiveness in maxillofacial surgery education should involve assessing the play and diverting attention from lesson content to how effectively students learn. Deduction activities and features in the game should be informative and entertaining and make considerations for short- and long-term objectives like delivering feedback on immediate and appropriate tool use and communication. Visual novels are interactive, allowing users to control story development through specific actions. These interactive narratives are primarily used in academic and industrial contexts covering diverse subjects. These models have become increasingly crucial in maxillofacial surgery, providing technical help and improving surgery's quality and speed. Instructors could develop the games as a course component or integrate them with other course materials because they are easy to access and download. However, some visual novels have failed to incorporate educational content delivery with interactive experiences. This indicates a research gap in interactive narrative designs and the primary content delivery mechanisms. Incorporating these resources into education and practice would reduce reliance on experience alone, reducing surgical errors and mistakes. This review highlights the importance of visual novels in maxillofacial surgery education and emphasizes their educational role.