The Benefits of Virtual Reality (VR) Across Different Educational Levels

VR allows for multidimensional learning in an interactive digital space allowing learners to engage multiple senses. 

                   

     Virtual Reality (VR) is one of the most cutting-edge new pieces of technology that people have at their fingertips, and it allows the user to experience digital worlds. What makes VR so groundbreaking is its ability to make experiences feel so real and tangible. This has led researchers to test the effects that VR has in learning environments and whether the use of VR can be an effective learning tool for students at all ages and stages. 

    FIndings:

                
                •North American preschoolers and middle schoolers (11-14) showed the greatest average benefit. Cao, L. (2023)

                •Among medical learners, postgraduate students and hospital residents had the largest increase in retention, engagement, and skill acquisition. Zhao, J. (2020)

                •Complex medicine and anatomy courses saw the largest benefit with VR studies. Hongthong, S.(2025)

    Practical Implications:

                                   These articles, while having a range of results, all show that VR does have a place in education as a valuable learning tool and, through the multiple studies, show that it serves to aid in different areas which such as rehabilitation programs. It also has a home in physical therapy programs to help contextualize muscle action and line of pull. Gamification allows people and potentially patients to interact with material in a more tangible way to create better outcomes.  

    About the Author:

Ben Mackay is a senior at Westfield State University studying Movement Science with a concentration in Sports Medicine. He is currently a Physical Therapist Assistant at Baystate Medical Center in downtown Springfield and plans to attend PT school to acquire his DPT. He can be contacted at bmackay0414@gmail.com for any further information.

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