Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Medical Education
Date Submitted: Jan 28, 2024
Date Accepted: Sep 24, 2024
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Usability of VR simulation in undergraduate healthcare education programs
ABSTRACT
Background:
Virtual reality is increasingly being used in higher education for clinical skills training and role-playing among healthcare students. Using 360° videos in virtual reality headsets, followed by peer debrief and group discussions, may strengthen students’ emotional learning.
Objective:
This study aimed to explore student-perceived usability of VR simulation in three healthcare education programs in Norway.
Methods:
Students from one university participated in a virtual reality simulation program. Of these, students in social education (n = 74), nursing (n = 45), and occupational therapy (n = 27) completed a questionnaire asking about their perceptions of the usability of the virtual reality simulation and the related learning activities. Differences between groups of students were examined with Pearson’s Chi squared tests and with one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse data from open-ended questions.
Results:
The nursing students were most satisfied with the usability of the VR simulation, while the occupational therapy students were least satisfied. Nevertheless, high mean scores indicated that the students experienced the VR simulation and the related learning activities as very useful. The results also showed that, by using realistic scenarios in VR simulation, healthcare students can be prepared for complex clinical situations in a safe environment. Also, group debriefing sessions are a vital part of the learning process that enhance active involvement with peers.
Conclusions:
Virtual reality simulation has promise and potential as a pedagogical tool in healthcare education, especially for training soft skills relevant for clinical practice, such as communication, decision-making, time management and critical thinking.
Citation
