Effectiveness of Virtual Reality in Nursing Education: Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Background Virtual reality (VR) is the use of computer technology to create an interactive three-dimensional (3D) world, which gives users a sense of spatial presence. In nursing education, VR has been used to help optimize teaching and learning processes. Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of VR in nursing education in the areas of knowledge, skills, satisfaction, confidence, and performance time. Methods We conducted a meta-analysis of the effectiveness of VR in nursing education based on the Cochrane methodology. An electronic literature search using the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), up to December 2019 was conducted to identify studies that reported the effectiveness of VR on knowledge, skills, satisfaction, confidence, and performance time. The study selection and data extraction were carried out by two independent reviewers. The methodological quality of the selected studies was determined using the Cochrane criteria for risk-of-bias assessment. Results A total of 12 studies, including 821 participants, were selected for the final analysis. We found that VR was more effective than the control conditions in improving knowledge (standard mean difference [SMD]=0.58, 95% CI 0.41-0.75, P<.001, I2=47%). However, there was no difference between VR and the control conditions in skills (SMD=0.01, 95% CI –0.24 to 0.26, P=.93, I2=37%), satisfaction (SMD=0.01, 95% CI –0.79 to 0.80, P=.99, I2=86%), confidence (SMD=0.00, 95% CI –0.28 to 0.27, P=.99, I2=0%), and performance time (SMD=–0.55, 95% CI –2.04 to 0.94, P=.47, I2=97%). Conclusions The results of this study suggest that VR can effectively improve knowledge in nursing education, but it was not more effective than other education methods in areas of skills, satisfaction, confidence, and performance time. Further rigorous studies with a larger sample size are warranted to confirm these results.

Nursing Students’ Perceptions and Experiences of Using Virtual Simulation During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Participants reported that VS was beneficial in helping them practice and gain competence and confidence to provide nursing care. Other studies have reported that VS offered students a positive experience ( Gu et al, 2017 ; Wright et al, 2018 ) and positively affected student knowledge, performance, and clinical judgment skills ( Chen et al, 2020 ; Fogg et al, 2020 ; Sapiano et al, 2018 ). Taken together, our findings indicate that VS learning is a potentially valuable method of providing nursing education for students, even those with limited English proficiency, especially during a pandemic when safe clinical placement is not attainable.…”

How the nursing profession should adapt for a digital future

“…Determining how, where, and why technology like AI should be used to support practice is of immediate interest and a growing competency requirement in health sciences and informatics education 43. Nursing education should evolve its competencies and curriculums proactively for the increasing use of digital technologies in all areas of practice39 while incorporating novel pedagogical approaches—for example, immersive technologies such as virtual and augmented reality—to deliver aspects of simulation based education 4445…”

Don’t forget to assess: How teachers check for new and deeper learning when integrating virtual reality in the classroom

“…Educators are eager to provide students with engaging ways to learn, and VR provides a medium to explore virtual scenarios and make meaning through virtual experiences (Castaneda et al, 2017). Research from a variety of fields has demonstrated the value of virtual simulations for learning information and skills as a result of immersion (Chen et al, 2020;Chernikova et al, 2020;Harman et al, 2017;Kaplan et al, 2021;Krokos et al, 2019;Pantelidis, 2010). Immersive VR enables students to physically engage with new concepts and environments (Bailenson, 2018;Hu-Au & Lee, 2017;Lau & Lee, 2015;Prensky, 2013;Regian et al, 1992;Roussou & Slater, 2005;Winn, 1993), leads to a deeper sense of presence and engagement in real or surreal environments (Coelho et al, 2006;Heeter, 1992;Makransky & Lilleholt, 2018), and thus likely enables them to more actively construct their own knowledge (Koohang et al, 2009;Roussou & Slater, 2005).…”