ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Med.
Sec. Healthcare Professions Education
Enhancing Health Literacy and Academic Success through Virtual Reality in Medical Imaging Education
Provisionally accepted
- 1Vocational School of Health Services, Marmara University, Istanbul, Türkiye
- 2University of Sharjah College of Health Sciences, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
This quasi-experimental study examined the effectiveness of integrating virtual reality (VR)-based training into the medical imaging curriculum, particularly in enhancing eHealth literacy, health-related behaviors, and academic outcomes. A total of 96 students participated, divided into a VR-based training group (n = 35) and a traditional training group (n = 61). Grounded in Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory, Sweller's Cognitive Load Theory, and the Cognitive-Affective Model of Immersive Learning (CAMIL), the study aimed to explore how immersive, student-centered learning environments influence health education outcomes. Data were collected using the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS), Health-Related Behaviors Scale (HBS), Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and Breast Health and Examination (BHE) test in both groups. The VR-based group also completed the Student Satisfaction and Self-Confidence in Learning Scale (SCLS). Post-training BHE scores increased significantly in both groups (p <0.001), though no statistically significant difference was observed between the groups in eHEALS, HBS, CES-D, or BHE scores. The VR-based group reported high satisfaction and self-confidence (SCLS mean = 54.1 ± 4.1). The use of scenario-based virtual patients and simulated breast models created a reflective, low-risk, and student-centered learning environment aligned with experiential and cognitive learning theories. The VR-supported breast health curriculum was associated with comparable learning outcomes to the traditional course, suggesting that immersive methods can provide an alternative mode of delivery in health education to foster motivation, self-efficacy, and clinical competence.
Keywords: virtual reality, Immersive Learning, Experiential learning, student satisfaction, Medical Education, Health Literacy
Received: 30 Sep 2025; Accepted: 25 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Akyurt, Elshami and Tekin. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Nuran Akyurt
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.