Virtual Reality Instructional Design in Orthopedic Physical Therapy Education

Virtual Reality Instructional Design in Orthopedic Physical Therapy Education: A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing the Effects of Virtual Reality With Role-Playing Learning

The objective of this study is to assess the effects of virtual reality instructional design on physical therapy students' clinical decision-making skills, as compared with a traditional method of instruction with the same content and duration of exposure.

An online random number generator will be used to randomize students into one of two groups: virtual reality instruction or role-paying instruction. All students will complete self-reported measures of clinical decision-making and metacognitive awareness prior to receiving their allocated instruction. While completing allocated instruction (either virtual reality or role-playing), measures of diagnostic accuracy and diagnostic efficiency will be collected. Following virtual reality or role-playing instruction, all included subjects will complete post-test measures of clinical decision-making ,metacognitive awareness, and engagement. One week later, all included subjects will be assessed on a musculoskeletal objective structured clinical examination (mOSCE).

Inclusion Criteria:

• Students enrolled in their first year of physical therapy school at SU

Exclusion Criteria:

• Students enrolled in their second or third year of physical therapy school at SU