Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 7, 2025
Virtual Reality Experiments with Physiological Measures
Published on: August 29, 2018
Virtual reality learning: A randomized controlled trial assessing medical student knowledge of fetal development
Grace Ryan1, Anthony Rafferty1, John Murphy2
1UCD Perinatal Research Centre, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, National Maternity Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Objective:
To investigate whether a virtual reality learning environment (VRLE) enhanced student understanding and knowledge compared with a traditional tutorial.
Method:
A randomized controlled trial involving medical students from University College Dublin, Ireland. Participants were assigned to an intervention (VRLE involving a 15-min learning experience on the stages of fetal development) or control (PowerPoint tutorial on the same topic) group. Multiple choice questionnaires (MCQs) assessed knowledge at three time points: preintervention, immediately postintervention, and 1 week postintervention. Primary outcomes were differences in MCQ knowledge scores postintervention between groups. Secondary outcomes included attitudes on the learning experience assessed using the Student Satisfaction and Self-Confidence in Learning Scale (SCLS) and the Virtual Reality Design Scale (VRDS).
Results:
No statistically significant between-group differences were found in the primary outcome assessing postintervention knowledge scores. Within-group differences in knowledge scores were significant among the three time points for both the intervention (P < 0.01 [95% confidence interval, 5.33-6.19]) and control (P = 0.02 [95% confidence interval, 5.74-6.49]) groups. Mean levels of satisfaction and self-confidence in learning were higher in the intervention group compared with the control group: 54.2 (standard deviation, 7.5) and 50.5 (standard deviation, 7.2), respectively (P = 0.21).
Conclusion:
VRLEs are a learning tool that can support knowledge development.
