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Main Authors: Gomez, Catalina, Seenivasan, Lalithkumar, Zou, Xinrui, Yoon, Jeewoo, Chu, Sirui, Leong, Ariel, Kramer, Patrick, Ku, Yu-Chun, Porras, Jose L., Martin-Gomez, Alejandro, Ishii, Masaru, Unberath, Mathias
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.02593
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author Gomez, Catalina
Seenivasan, Lalithkumar
Zou, Xinrui
Yoon, Jeewoo
Chu, Sirui
Leong, Ariel
Kramer, Patrick
Ku, Yu-Chun
Porras, Jose L.
Martin-Gomez, Alejandro
Ishii, Masaru
Unberath, Mathias
author_facet Gomez, Catalina
Seenivasan, Lalithkumar
Zou, Xinrui
Yoon, Jeewoo
Chu, Sirui
Leong, Ariel
Kramer, Patrick
Ku, Yu-Chun
Porras, Jose L.
Martin-Gomez, Alejandro
Ishii, Masaru
Unberath, Mathias
contents Traditional surgical skill acquisition relies heavily on expert feedback, yet direct access is limited by faculty availability and variability in subjective assessments. While trainees can practice independently, the lack of personalized, objective, and quantitative feedback reduces the effectiveness of self-directed learning. Recent advances in computer vision and machine learning have enabled automated surgical skill assessment, demonstrating the feasibility of automatic competency evaluation. However, it is unclear whether such Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven feedback can contribute to skill acquisition. Here, we examine the effectiveness of explainable AI (XAI)-generated feedback in surgical training through a human-AI study. We create a simulation-based training framework that utilizes XAI to analyze videos and extract surgical skill proxies related to primitive actions. Our intervention provides automated, user-specific feedback by comparing trainee performance to expert benchmarks and highlighting deviations from optimal execution through understandable proxies for actionable guidance. In a prospective user study with medical students, we compare the impact of XAI-guided feedback against traditional video-based coaching on task outcomes, cognitive load, and trainees' perceptions of AI-assisted learning. Results showed improved cognitive load and confidence post-intervention. While no differences emerged between the two feedback types in reducing performance gaps or practice adjustments, trends in the XAI group revealed desirable effects where participants more closely mimicked expert practice. This work encourages the study of explainable AI in surgical education and the development of data-driven, adaptive feedback mechanisms that could transform learning experiences and competency assessment.
format Preprint
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institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Explainable AI for Automated User-specific Feedback in Surgical Skill Acquisition
Gomez, Catalina
Seenivasan, Lalithkumar
Zou, Xinrui
Yoon, Jeewoo
Chu, Sirui
Leong, Ariel
Kramer, Patrick
Ku, Yu-Chun
Porras, Jose L.
Martin-Gomez, Alejandro
Ishii, Masaru
Unberath, Mathias
Human-Computer Interaction
Artificial Intelligence
Traditional surgical skill acquisition relies heavily on expert feedback, yet direct access is limited by faculty availability and variability in subjective assessments. While trainees can practice independently, the lack of personalized, objective, and quantitative feedback reduces the effectiveness of self-directed learning. Recent advances in computer vision and machine learning have enabled automated surgical skill assessment, demonstrating the feasibility of automatic competency evaluation. However, it is unclear whether such Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven feedback can contribute to skill acquisition. Here, we examine the effectiveness of explainable AI (XAI)-generated feedback in surgical training through a human-AI study. We create a simulation-based training framework that utilizes XAI to analyze videos and extract surgical skill proxies related to primitive actions. Our intervention provides automated, user-specific feedback by comparing trainee performance to expert benchmarks and highlighting deviations from optimal execution through understandable proxies for actionable guidance. In a prospective user study with medical students, we compare the impact of XAI-guided feedback against traditional video-based coaching on task outcomes, cognitive load, and trainees' perceptions of AI-assisted learning. Results showed improved cognitive load and confidence post-intervention. While no differences emerged between the two feedback types in reducing performance gaps or practice adjustments, trends in the XAI group revealed desirable effects where participants more closely mimicked expert practice. This work encourages the study of explainable AI in surgical education and the development of data-driven, adaptive feedback mechanisms that could transform learning experiences and competency assessment.
title Explainable AI for Automated User-specific Feedback in Surgical Skill Acquisition
topic Human-Computer Interaction
Artificial Intelligence
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.02593