Assessment of Virtual Reality as a Didactic Resource in Higher Education

Degree of Acceptance of Virtual Reality by Health Sciences Students

Virtual Reality (VR) is an emerging technology with educational benefits demonstrated in numerous studies. Its integration into the curriculum implies the use of cognitive resources by students and the training of digital skills by teachers. The objective of this study is to determine the degree of acceptance of students with learning objects produced in VR and in 360°, as well as to analyze their evaluation and the established relationships. A sample of 136 medical students who completed questionnaires on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the quality of the training activity was used. The results show high levels of acceptance, both in VR and 360° objects. The students perceived the usefulness of the training activity as high, with significant correlations between the different dimensions. This study demonstrates the potential of VR as an educational technology and offers new perspectives for future research.

On the Influence of the University Tenure on the Digital Pandemic Stress in Higher Education Faculty

This paper conducts quantitative research on the levels of stress generated in Latin American professors due to the abrupt digitalization of higher education resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the differences in this digital stress between professors from private and public universities are analyzed. For this purpose, a validated questionnaire has been used and passed to a sample of 750 professors from 20 different Latin American countries, whose responses have been statistically analyzed. As results, it has been obtained that there are no significant differences between the average levels of digital stress of professors of private and public universities due to the pandemic. However, the way in which this digital stress has affected Latin American professors according to gender and age is different depending on the university tenure. As a consequence, some implications and recommendations derived from the results are presented.

Higher Education in the Pacific Alliance: Descriptive and Exploratory Analysis of the Didactic Potential of Virtual Reality

In this paper, we conducted descriptive quantitative research on the assessment of virtual reality (VR) technologies in higher education in the countries of the Pacific Alliance (PA). Specifically, differences between PA countries in terms of the above perceptions were identified and the behavior of the gender and knowledge area gaps in each of them was analyzed. A validated quantitative questionnaire was used for this purpose. As a result, we found that PA professors express high ratings of VR but point out strong disadvantages regarding its use in lectures; in addition, they have low self-concept of their digital competence. In this regard, it was identified that there are notable differences among the PA countries. Mexico is the country with the most marked gender gaps, while Chile has strong gaps by areas of knowledge. We give some recommendations towards favoring a homogeneous process of integration of VR in higher education in the PA countries.

Virtual Reality in Health Science Education: Professors’ Perceptions

Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience in a three-dimensional (3D) computer-simulated world. Recent advances in technology position VR as a multipurpose technology in the healthcare sector and as a critical component in achieving Health 4.0. In this article, descriptive and correlationally quantitative research is carried out on the assessments made by Latin American health sciences university professors on the didactic use of virtual reality technologies. The main objective was to analyze the differences in the perceptions expressed by the public or private tenure of the universities where the professors teach. In addition, gender and age gaps were identified in the assessments obtained from each of the types of universities. The results reveal that Latin American health science professors at private universities have a higher selfconcept of their digital skills for the use of virtual reality in the lectures. This greater selfconcept also leads to a reduction in the gender and age gaps in the participating private universities with respect to the public counterparts. It is advisable to increase both faculty training in the didactic use of virtual reality and funding for its use, mainly in public universities.

Influence of Country Digitization Level on Digital Pandemic Stress

A quick and effective solution to address the immediate change in teaching methods after the COVID-19 pandemic was digital learning environments (DLEs). The way in which this process of change towards DLEs was tackled was different around the world, depending on multiple factors, including the level of digitization, technology, and innovation. This paper conducts quantitative research on the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the adaptation of university professors to DLEs. In order to achieve this objective, a sample of 723 university professors from 15 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean was taken. The participants’ self-perception of the stress generated and their levels of digital competence during the COVID-19 pandemic were studied according to the Global Innovation Index (GII) of their country of origin. The results show that professors have an intermediate–high self-perception of both their digital competence and their ability to adapt to DLEs. It is also shown that neither the professors’ level of digital competence nor the GII of the country of origin fully explain the level of pandemic stress regarding the use of DLEs. This fact suggests that there must be other influential factors to consider, thus opening new lines of future research.

Assessment of Virtual Reality among University Professors: Influence of the Digital Generation

This paper conducts quantitative research on the assessment made by a group of 623 Spanish and Latin American university professors about the use of virtual reality technologies in the classroom and their own digital skills in this respect. The main objective is to analyze the differences that exist in this regard due to the digital generation of the professors (immigrants or digital natives). As an instrument, a survey designed for this purpose was used, the validity of which has been tested in the study. It was found that digital natives say they are more competent in the use of virtual reality and value its technical and didactic aspects more highly, although they also identify more disadvantages in its use than digital immigrants. Differences in responses were found by gender and areas of knowledge of the professors with respect to the opinions expressed. It is suggested that universities design training plans on teaching digital competence and include in them the didactic use of virtual reality technologies in higher education.

Didactic Use of Virtual Reality in Colombian Universities: Professors’ Perspective

This paper presents quantitative research on the perception of the didactic use of virtual reality by university professors in Colombia, with special attention to the differences according to their area of knowledge, as the main variable, and gender and digital generation, as secondary variables. The study involved 204 professors from different Colombian universities. As an instrument, a survey designed for this purpose was used with four scales that were used to measure, on a Likert scale, different dimensions involving the participants’ perception of the use of virtual reality in the classroom. The answers were analyzed statistically and the differences in the perceptions have been identified by means of parametric statistical tests according to the following: (i) area of knowledge, (ii) gender, (iii) digital generation of the participants. The results showed that the participants expressed high valuations of virtual reality, despite having intermediate or low levels of digital competence. Gaps were identified in terms of area of knowledge, gender, and digital generation (digital natives or immigrants) with respect to opinions of virtual reality and digital competence. The highest valuations of virtual reality are given by professors of Humanities, and by digital natives. It is suggested that Colombian universities implement training plans on digital competence for professors and that these plans be aimed at strengthening knowledge of virtual reality.

Reality-Virtuality Technologies in the Field of Materials Science and Engineering

The increasing use of reality-virtuality technologies (RVTs, which encompass virtual, augmented, and mixed reality) in different fields over the last decade is a phenomenon for which materials science and engineering (MSE) is no exception. To obtain an overview of the implementation of RVTs in MSE, this team conducted a systematic search of the scientific literature published since 2010 addressing the use of RVTs in MSE. Forty-one relevant papers were selected and analyzed in depth to reach several conclusions, including: (i) most of the works (67.3%) are focused on the MSE area of materials structure, processing, and properties, which implies that there are great possibilities for research in other MSE areas; (ii) most of the works (86.8%) are aimed exclusively at education or research, which means that there are many fields outside of the university in which the use of RVT tools has not been developed and evaluated; (iii) the most used technology is virtual reality (85.1%), which means that there are many research possibilities focused on augmented and mixed reality. Researchers can find in the present work examples of the use of RVTs in MSE as well as other relevant information useful to open new lines of research and ideas that can contribute to their current and future work.

Variables Influencing Professors' Adaptation to Digital Learning Environments during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This paper conducts quantitative research on the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the adaptation to digital learning environments (DLE) of a group of 908 university professors. We compared the perceptions of participants who were digital natives (born before 1980) with those of digital immigrants (born after 1980). For this purpose, a validated survey was used and the obtained responses statistically analyzed. The results show a negative correlation between pandemic stress and the digital competence of professors and their adaptation skills to digital environments, which although weak for both of the two groups compared are stronger for digital immigrants. Both self-confidence and digital competence show a positive influence on the perception of adaptation of skills to DLE, and this is weaker in digital natives. Gaps were identified by gender and area of knowledge of the participants; consequently, the need to carry out training actions for university faculty on skills linked to their digital competence in teaching is clear.

Designing a Tool for an Innovative, Interdisciplinary Learning Process Based on a Comprehensive Understanding of Sourcing: A Case Study

The paper presents a case study describing the process of creating and validating the benefits of two Innovative Learning Tools (ILTs) aimed at more effective knowledge acquisition in the interdisciplinary field of earth resource extraction with links to the status of renewable energy. The philosophy behind the original designs and the design of the two tools, the way they are used, and the results of their application in the educational process are presented in a framework. The opinions and attitudes of both students and educators towards the tools were surveyed, and some research questions related to this form of knowledge acquisition were validated. The presented results show the students’ interest in the educational form as well as the attractive content that goes beyond conventional educational subjects, with its connections.