Immersive technology and regular classes led to similar knowledge
Across 29 trials with 2,722 health students, satisfaction, confidence, and engagement tended to be rated more highly with immersive technology.
The key idea
Across 29 trials, knowledge was similar with immersive technology and traditional methods, while participants rated the experience more highly with the former.
The study, in plain language
The review brought together randomized-group trials comparing virtual, augmented, or mixed reality with usual teaching for university health students. The search identified 15,627 records, and two reviewers separately assessed which studies to include. Twenty-nine trials remained. The focus was on distinguishing what students learned from how they experienced the activity.
For knowledge outcomes, immersive technologies and traditional methods were similar overall. Views about motivation, satisfaction, and engagement tended to favor immersive experiences. No trial included midwifery students.
What they found
- Overall knowledge outcomes were similar with immersive technologies and traditional methods.
- Immersive experiences generally received more favorable ratings.
- What students learned and how they experienced the activity were measured separately.
Something to think about
Enjoying a class and learning more are two different questions. Which one do you use to decide whether a way of studying is worthwhile?
How they studied it
Researchers combined results from 29 randomized trials with 2,722 health-program students in preclinical training. Two reviewers separately assessed which studies to include and how they were conducted. The variety of technologies and measures prevented a formal meta-analysis.
What the study cannot show
- Only randomized trials with traditional comparators were included; all studies came from upper-middle- or high-income countries and preclinical education; tools and measures differed across studies, and methodological evidence quality was moderate.
- The review does not show that VR/AR/MR always improves learning, replaces clinical teaching, transfers to post-qualification training or midwifery, or that every positive perception means greater mastery.
The original study
Learning Outcomes of Immersive Technologies in Health Care Student Education: Systematic Review of the Literature
Source under CC BY 4.0. English adaptation and explanation by PaperFlow, with AI assistance. The text has been reorganized for a general audience; it is not the complete paper and does not imply endorsement by its authors.
One study alone does not represent a field's consensus. Educational content does not replace professional advice. Report a possible error.
