Face-to-face versus 360 VR video: a comparative study of two teaching methods in nursing education

Abstract

Abstract Background The practical sessions during skills laboratory simulation or clinical simulation are cores of nursing education. For this, different modalities have been devised to facilitate psychomotor skills learning. One of the commonly used educational material or instructional method to supplement skills learning across various disciplines is video-based teaching method. The opportunities of traditional two-dimensional (2D) video might be limitless and maximized with 360 virtual reality (VR) video, which offers immersive experience. This study incorporates 360 VR video into skills laboratory training as an alternative approach to face-to-face procedure demonstration.Methods An open-label, parallel (1:1), comparative study design was conducted among third-year undergraduate nursing students at Hiroshima University, Japan. The nursing students were block-randomized into 360 virtual reality (VR) video and face-to-face demonstration group. After a 3-hour theoretical class of patient management on ventilator and closed-suction principles of mechanically ventilated patients in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) focused class, the 360 VR group watched the 360 VR video of closed tracheal suction (including oral) using the Head Mounted Display (HMD) of Meta Quest 2 individually, while the face-to-face group attended the instructor’s demonstration. A week after the skills laboratory, the students’ psychomotor skills, knowledge, satisfaction, confidence were evaluated, in addition to the 360 VR video groups’ perception; Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare the two groups.Results A total of 57 students were analyzed; 27 students in the 360 VR video group and 30 students in face-to-face group. There were no statistically significant differences between both groups in skills, knowledge, and confidence. However, the face-to-face group had higher satisfaction level than the 360 VR group; this difference was statistically significant. In the 360 VR video group, 62% agreed that VR makes learning more interesting; more than half of students (62.5%) experienced VR sickness symptoms, and “feeling of drunk” is the highest. The students appreciated the ready to use, immersiveness, and realism; however, symptoms and discomfort, difficult perspective and production limitations were improvements recommended.Conclusion Although face-to-face demonstration is the established method of teaching psychomotor skills to nursing students, the use of 360 VR video could achieve similar learning effect as an alternative approach.