VReduMED aims to establish immersive technologies such as virtual reality in the training and continuing education of healthcare professions, particularly in nursing. ‘OTH Regensburg is actively involved as a project partner in the development, piloting and evaluation of digital educational applications,’ emphasises Prof. Dr. Christa Mohr.
VR up close – lending, training and test phase
The pilot phase focuses on testing the VR equipment by nursing schools that are members of the Care Education Forum. Over a period of around six weeks, they will receive free access to modern VR hardware and carefully selected educational software.
"This offer includes not only technology and software, but also ongoing support for teachers: we are available as contact persons throughout the entire test period and provide support with questions about application, didactic integration or technical challenges. This low-threshold approach has proven successful – interest now exceeds our capacities. This is a clear signal of how high the demand for digital innovation in nursing education is," says M.A. Anselm Stadler, research assistant in the project.
Die Pilotphase dient nicht nur der Bereitstellung von VR-Technologien, sondern ist auch zentraler Bestandteil der wissenschaftlichen Begleitforschung. Anhand von Nutzungsbeobachtungen und leitfadengestützten Interviews werden Erkenntnisse zur didaktischen Einbettung, Zielerreichung und notwendigen Unterstützung bei der Anwendung immersiver Lernformate gewonnen. In sechs Pilotaktionen wird erprobt, wie immersive Medien praxisnah und evidenzbasiert in die Pflegeausbildung integriert werden können, um digitale Bildungsangebote bedarfsgerecht weiterzuentwickeln.
The pilot phase not only serves to provide VR technologies, but is also a central component of the accompanying scientific research. Based on usage observations and guided interviews, insights are gained into the didactic integration, goal achievement and necessary support for the application of immersive learning formats. Six pilot projects are testing how immersive media can be integrated into nursing training in a practical and evidence-based manner in order to further develop digital educational offerings in line with needs.
Challenges: Curricular fit and tech-savvy contact persons
A key issue in selecting suitable VR applications is curricular fit. Many of the apps available on the market were developed for other healthcare systems or educational contexts and cannot be easily integrated into German training curricula. There are also financial hurdles: many small nursing schools cannot afford high-quality applications – here, the project offers real added value by providing them free of charge.
European cooperation for the nursing education of the future
At the beginning of July, OTH Regensburg, together with Strategische Partnerschaft Sensorik e.V., hosted the fifth Steering Committee Meeting of the EU project VReduMED. Representatives from five European partner countries gathered in Regensburg to reflect on key project steps, provide new impetus and plan further implementation.
The focus was on innovative VR applications such as the ‘Room of Horror’ and sensor-based CPR training, which were presented and further developed as part of the pilot measures. In an ideation workshop with Business Upper Austria, numerous creative approaches were also developed for integrating immersive technologies even more specifically into educational work.
The findings from the pilot phase will be presented at the final conference in Budweis in February 2026.