Qualitative Assessment of Undergraduate Nursing Students' Perceptions of Combined Virtual Reality and Group Discussion Learning Interventions: A Focus Group Study

Context: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has forced major changes in the learning environment. The author’s institution created virtual reality (VR) learning content to enhance readiness for on-the-job training students by allowing them to enter situations and circumstances beyond...

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Main Authors: Yuzo Kuwabara, Ai Ogata, Takami Tanaka, Tomoko Nishida, Ikumi Sasaki
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Egyptian Electronic Publisher 2025-01-01
Series:Evidence-Based Nursing Research
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Online Access:https://eepublisher.com/index.php/ebnr/article/view/376
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author Yuzo Kuwabara
Ai Ogata
Takami Tanaka
Tomoko Nishida
Ikumi Sasaki
author_facet Yuzo Kuwabara
Ai Ogata
Takami Tanaka
Tomoko Nishida
Ikumi Sasaki
author_sort Yuzo Kuwabara
collection DOAJ
description Context: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has forced major changes in the learning environment. The author’s institution created virtual reality (VR) learning content to enhance readiness for on-the-job training students by allowing them to enter situations and circumstances beyond traditional learning, experience simulations of target individuals, and think about the nursing assistance needed. The education combined VR and 360-degree video content with group discussions to increase learning depth. A qualitative analysis of the evaluations from the participating students’ perception was performed to obtain suggestions for future educational methods. Aim: This study aimed to elucidate how undergraduate nursing students perceive the effectiveness of education that combines VR learning content with group discussions. Methods: This qualitative descriptive study summarizes the educational effectiveness from data obtained through focus group interviews (FGI). In the data collection process, two focus group interviews were conducted with five nursing students at a nursing university in the Tokyo metropolitan area in March 2023, using an interview guide that was independently created. The study subjects participated in the nursing practical training and exercises that combined VR learning content with group discussions. Results: Based on the FGI of five participants, two main themes were identified, "educational effectiveness" and "challenges." Educational effectiveness" contains the following four subthemes as effects of the combination of VR learning content and group discussions: Opportunities to think about the experiences of patients receiving care and the ethical behavior of nurses, promotion of understanding of clinical situations that are normally inaccessible, opportunities for reflection through recollection of previous experiences, and expanding and deepening learning in group discussions. Moreover, "challenges" contains two subthemes: Introducing mechanisms and devices to enhance learning effectiveness and VR sickness while viewing the VR learning content. Conclusion: The introduction of VR learning interventions allows for the simulated experience of three-dimensional reconstructed scenes of places and situations that are normally inaccessible and is provided for learners to be useful as a learning opportunity intended to reconstruct knowledge and understanding. Additionally, the emotional experience of VR learning content based on learners' different perspectives and sensitivities can be combined with group discussions to deepen learning through multifaceted opinions and realizations. An effective educational method for fostering critical thinking skills is to incorporate group work into VR-based educational programs.
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series Evidence-Based Nursing Research
spelling doaj-art-f5d62429e3ee41a2be4822a0ba505b3e2025-08-20T02:10:44ZengEgyptian Electronic PublisherEvidence-Based Nursing Research2636-39922636-400X2025-01-017110.47104/ebnrojs3.v7i1.376Qualitative Assessment of Undergraduate Nursing Students' Perceptions of Combined Virtual Reality and Group Discussion Learning Interventions: A Focus Group StudyYuzo Kuwabara0Ai Ogata1Takami Tanaka2Tomoko Nishida3Ikumi Sasaki4Japanese Red Cross College of Nursing, Tokyo, JapanJapanese Red Cross College of Nursing, Tokyo, JapanJapanese Red Cross College of Nursing, Tokyo, JapanJapanese Red Cross College of Nursing, Tokyo, JapanJapanese Red Cross College of Nursing, Tokyo, Japan Context: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has forced major changes in the learning environment. The author’s institution created virtual reality (VR) learning content to enhance readiness for on-the-job training students by allowing them to enter situations and circumstances beyond traditional learning, experience simulations of target individuals, and think about the nursing assistance needed. The education combined VR and 360-degree video content with group discussions to increase learning depth. A qualitative analysis of the evaluations from the participating students’ perception was performed to obtain suggestions for future educational methods. Aim: This study aimed to elucidate how undergraduate nursing students perceive the effectiveness of education that combines VR learning content with group discussions. Methods: This qualitative descriptive study summarizes the educational effectiveness from data obtained through focus group interviews (FGI). In the data collection process, two focus group interviews were conducted with five nursing students at a nursing university in the Tokyo metropolitan area in March 2023, using an interview guide that was independently created. The study subjects participated in the nursing practical training and exercises that combined VR learning content with group discussions. Results: Based on the FGI of five participants, two main themes were identified, "educational effectiveness" and "challenges." Educational effectiveness" contains the following four subthemes as effects of the combination of VR learning content and group discussions: Opportunities to think about the experiences of patients receiving care and the ethical behavior of nurses, promotion of understanding of clinical situations that are normally inaccessible, opportunities for reflection through recollection of previous experiences, and expanding and deepening learning in group discussions. Moreover, "challenges" contains two subthemes: Introducing mechanisms and devices to enhance learning effectiveness and VR sickness while viewing the VR learning content. Conclusion: The introduction of VR learning interventions allows for the simulated experience of three-dimensional reconstructed scenes of places and situations that are normally inaccessible and is provided for learners to be useful as a learning opportunity intended to reconstruct knowledge and understanding. Additionally, the emotional experience of VR learning content based on learners' different perspectives and sensitivities can be combined with group discussions to deepen learning through multifaceted opinions and realizations. An effective educational method for fostering critical thinking skills is to incorporate group work into VR-based educational programs. https://eepublisher.com/index.php/ebnr/article/view/376Focus group study, discussion, learning interventions, nursing students, virtual reality
spellingShingle Yuzo Kuwabara
Ai Ogata
Takami Tanaka
Tomoko Nishida
Ikumi Sasaki
Qualitative Assessment of Undergraduate Nursing Students' Perceptions of Combined Virtual Reality and Group Discussion Learning Interventions: A Focus Group Study
Evidence-Based Nursing Research
Focus group study, discussion, learning interventions, nursing students, virtual reality
title Qualitative Assessment of Undergraduate Nursing Students' Perceptions of Combined Virtual Reality and Group Discussion Learning Interventions: A Focus Group Study
title_full Qualitative Assessment of Undergraduate Nursing Students' Perceptions of Combined Virtual Reality and Group Discussion Learning Interventions: A Focus Group Study
title_fullStr Qualitative Assessment of Undergraduate Nursing Students' Perceptions of Combined Virtual Reality and Group Discussion Learning Interventions: A Focus Group Study
title_full_unstemmed Qualitative Assessment of Undergraduate Nursing Students' Perceptions of Combined Virtual Reality and Group Discussion Learning Interventions: A Focus Group Study
title_short Qualitative Assessment of Undergraduate Nursing Students' Perceptions of Combined Virtual Reality and Group Discussion Learning Interventions: A Focus Group Study
title_sort qualitative assessment of undergraduate nursing students perceptions of combined virtual reality and group discussion learning interventions a focus group study
topic Focus group study, discussion, learning interventions, nursing students, virtual reality
url https://eepublisher.com/index.php/ebnr/article/view/376
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