Health Profession Students’ Learning Outcomes Channeled by the Adoption of a Virtual Classroom

With the appearance of the Covid-19 pandemic, universities were forced to find more immersive technologies to maintain student learning. Health profession students who participated in a virtual classroom (VC) before (N=32) and during (N=20) the Covid-19 lockdown were assessed. Hypothesis. The study investigated if a VC was effective in supporting student learning and engagement. Method. Student learning, engagement, presence in the VC, and affinity to technology were measured. Pearson correlation and t test with bootstrapping (alpha .05, 95% CI) were conducted. Observations. Student presence is significantly correlated with the perception that the VC facilitated learning and with the perception for the naturality provided by the VC. The number of times students viewed the course guides prior to joining the VC was significantly correlated with perceived course content difficulty and the belief that the VC made the course content more difficult. The independent t test reveals no significant differences between the presence of graduates and undergraduates t = 1.11, p= 0.276. Conclusion. Health profession students are supportive of immersive technologies, while course designers should be mindful of student affinity for technology.