Identifying implementation considerations for the use of AI-VR simulation in undergraduate healthcare: A pilot feasibility study
Emily PagetBackground
Immersive technologies using virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) enable a new diversity of experiences for learners in education healthcare education, yet research on facilitators and barriers to practical implementation and factors which impact learner engagement remains limited.
Methods
A mixed-methods pilot feasibility study was conducted where undergraduate nursing and midwifery students accessed an immersive AI software package ‘Bodyswaps’ via VR headsets, laptops, and mobile devices. Data was collected through a mixed methods questionnaire and researcher observations during both facilitated sessions and remote access. Quantitative and qualitative data were integrated using the ‘following a thread’ method.
Results
Five participants completed the questionnaire while platform analytics recorded 154 individual platform sessions accessed by a wider cohort. AI/VR simulation was found to be moderately useful for learning and the design of the software was found to be inclusive, but the findings were limited by the sample size. Key findings for implementation were digital literacy, access to internet and the impact of these on learning experience.
Conclusion
AI-enabled immersive simulation could be a feasible and acceptable modality for immersive simulation within undergraduate healthcare education but requires infrastructure and digital literacy considerations to support wider implementation and future research. Implementation barriers fundamentally shape how immersive simulation functions in education and further research is needed to look at how VR/AI works in different contexts and why. This study will inform wider doctoral research.