Efficacy and Engagement With an Immersive Virtual Learning Experience of the Citric Acid Cycle
Bianca Curi Braga, William B. Hurst, JOHN C. BARROW, John William Long, Gregory C. Shearer, Joanna K. Hodges, Olivia Lawler, Ravi A Patel, Terry Schiavone, Travis D. Masterson · Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education · 2025
This randomized controlled trial assessed the comparative effectiveness of a biochemistry education program delivered through an immersive virtual reality (iVR) experience and traditional video-based instruction. Undergraduate students enrolled in three nutrition courses from a large R1 American university participated (n = 95). Students were randomly assigned to either an iVR condition (n = 48) or a video condition (n = 47). Students either viewed a nutritional biochemistry video or participated in an interactive iVR nutritional biochemistry experience. Nutritional biochemistry quiz scores improved, with a significant difference between the video condition and iVR condition (P = 0.05). Engagement scores were higher for the iVR (mean = 4.60) compared to the video (mean = 4.33; p = 0.02). Additionally, the total heuristic evaluation was higher for the iVR group compared with the video group (p = 0.01). Delivery of biochemistry education materials through iVR technology was shown to be more engaging than traditional video-based instruction.