Teaching experience with immersive virtual reality using the "VR-Triage" tool

Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) is increasingly used in health sciences education to simulate high-risk, low-frequency scenarios such as mass casualty incidents. While prior research has focused on student outcomes, the perceptions of instructors about available IVR tools remains underexplored.

To evaluate instructors' perceptions regarding ease of use, educational value, and technical quality of the "VR-Triage" immersive simulation tool in a disaster and mass casualty incident course.

A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted during the 2021-2022 academic year. Twenty instructors with experience in clinical emergency care and academic teaching participated. A validated structured questionnaire assessed technical quality, pedagogical value, ease of use, integration potential, and areas for improvement.

Instructors reported high satisfaction with the IVR tool. Both technical and pedagogical quality received a mean score of 9.65 out of 10. The tool was considered easy to use and was rated highly for facilitating engagement, knowledge application, and conceptual understanding. Statistically significant differences were found across age groups and academic rank (p < 0.00001), with senior instructors reporting more favorable perceptions.

Instructors perceive "VR-triage" as a technically robust, educationally valuable, and user-friendly simulation tool. Their feedback reinforces the importance of including instructors' perspectives to ensure educational alignment and support evidence-based integration of immersive simulations reality into health education curricula.