JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Virtual reality (VR) offers immersive and interactive learning opportunities in health professions education, yet its impact on physical therapy students’ practical skill acquisition remains underexplored.

Objective:

This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effects of VR-based practical education—versus conventional video-based education—on undergraduate physical therapy students' learning satisfaction, technology acceptance, learning motivation, and learning achievement.

Methods:

Undergraduate physical therapy students were randomly assigned to either a VR-based practical education group or a conventional 2D video-based education group. Both groups received identical instructional content on four musculoskeletal special tests (pronator teres, Hawkins–Kennedy, Yergason’s, and Neer’s tests). The VR group participated in immersive 180° video–based training delivered via a head-mounted display, whereas the control group viewed the same content on a standard monitor. Participants completed four instructional sessions within a single day, each lasting approximately 3–4 minutes. Learning satisfaction, technology acceptance, learning motivation, and learning achievement were assessed before and after the intervention using validated questionnaires and performance-based evaluations. Between- and within-group differences were analyzed using inferential statistics with a significance level of p < .05.

Results:

Fifty-two students were randomly assigned to receive either VR-based (n = 28) or video-based (n = 24) instruction on four musculoskeletal special tests (pronator teres, Hawkins–Kennedy, Yergason’s, Neer’s tests) with all four instructional sessions completed within a single day. Following the intervention, the VR group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in learning satisfaction (p < .001) and technology acceptance compared with the video group (p = .007). Learning motivation increased significantly within the VR group only (p = .015), though between-group differences were not statistically significant (p = .092). Both groups showed significant gains in learning achievement (VR group: p < .001, control group: p < .001), with no significant difference observed between them (p = .208).

Conclusions:

VR-based practical education significantly enhances learning satisfaction and technology acceptance among physical therapy students and shows promise for improving motivation and achievement. These findings support integrating immersive VR as a valuable supplementary approach in physical therapy education to enrich engagement and complement traditional teaching approaches. Clinical Trial: The study protocol was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT07003217) on June 3, 2025 (retrospectively registered).