Enhancing Educational Outcomes Through Hybrid Simulation Methods.

Purpose: To investigate long-term effectiveness of immersive virtual reality (VR) compared with traditional learning methods in a radiography education program through a comparative longitudinal analysis.

Methods: For 3 years, educational outcomes, such as student engagement and knowledge retention, were assessed to determine the effects of hybrid simulation methods incorporating immersive VR. The study used Virtual Medical Coaching's X-Ray Pro VR software to integrate VR into the curriculum.

Results: The data and graphical analyses substantiate the effectiveness of the hybrid learning model over traditional physical methods in terms of academic and practical performance metrics, affective measures, and career preparedness. Students using a hybrid of VR and physical simulations had significantly higher mean posttest scores, mean practical exam scores, career readiness, internship performance, mean motivation level, and mean engagement level compared with the students who only used physical simulation machines (P < .001).

Discussion: The significant improvements in student engagement and retention observed in this study suggest that VR can effectively address some of the limitations of traditional learning methods. The immersive nature of VR might provide a more engaging and interactive learning environment, leading to better educational outcomes. These findings support the potential for VR to be a valuable tool in higher education, particularly in fields that benefit from simulation-based training. However, further research is needed to explore the practical challenges of implementing VR at scale and to evaluate its effectiveness across various educational disciplines.

Conclusion: This study uniquely contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence of the sustained benefits of VR in educational settings, highlighting its potential to transform learning experiences and outcomes. The implications of these results suggest the need for educational institutions to consider integrating VR technologies strategically into their curricula to optimize teaching and learning effectiveness.