{"id":5857,"date":"2026-10-29T06:40:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T04:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogi.eoppimispalvelut.fi\/lumenlehti\/?p=5857"},"modified":"2026-10-28T08:27:57","modified_gmt":"2026-10-28T06:27:57","slug":"building-resilience-through-immersive-xr-a-game-development-perspective-on-healthcare-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogi.eoppimispalvelut.fi\/lumenlehti\/2026\/10\/29\/building-resilience-through-immersive-xr-a-game-development-perspective-on-healthcare-education\/","title":{"rendered":"Building Resilience through Immersive XR: a Game Development Perspective on Healthcare Education"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Download PDF<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Loru Reinikka, BA, Specialist, Digital Solutions, Lapland University of Applied Sciences<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Logos<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Keywords: immersive learning, nursing education, extended reality, artificial intelligent, digital solutions<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like any learning journey, professional development is ideally<\/em> built one step at a time. Each challenge strengthens understanding and builds groundwork, making the next challenge easier to face. The same of course applies to healthcare professionals, who regularly face situations that cannot be fully learned from textbooks alone. Clinical judgment, teamwork, communication, and the ability to act under pressure, sometimes with limited resources and within culturally varied environments, are developed through experience. Yet gaining that experience safely, without requiring learners to take giant leaps into real environments, remains an interesting challenge \u2013 at least from a game design perspective. How can we break down these big leaps into smaller steps?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technology, as a versatile and continuously evolving tool, can support this journey by providing opportunities to practice and learn from mistakes in safe and realistic environments before facing similar challenges in the real world. Interreg Aurora-funded Transforming Healthcare Education through XR and AI<\/em> (XRHealthEdu) project combines Extended Reality (XR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create immersive learning experiences for healthcare education. Through Finnish Norwegian collaboration, the project develops virtual emergency care and palliative home care scenarios that incorporate cultural perspectives, alongside AI-supported interactions and pedagogical guidelines for technology-enhanced learning. The project explores how virtual environments can help learners practise difficult situations safely while maintaining authenticity, engagement, and educational value in XR. By preparing learners for challenging healthcare situations, immersive XR experiences can strengthen resilience, helping future professionals adapt, make decisions, and perform effectively under pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Illustrated<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Picture 1<\/strong>. XRHealthEdu project: Transforming Healthcare Education through XR and AI.
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Designing for player agency, not automation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In game design, it\u00b4s important that the players get the feeling that their own actions matter. Players, naturally, learn most effectively when they make decisions themselves rather than simply following instructions. That same motivation guided the designs in XRHealthEdu. The Virtual Reality (VR) scenarios are designed to encourage active decision-making by requiring its players to assess situations, communicate with virtual characters, and determine appropriate courses of action independently. While support systems are available, responsibility for clinical reasoning and communication remains with the player to aid their learning. (L\u00e4ms\u00e4 et al., 2026.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same philosophy applies to the design of the VR environments in the project. The surroundings are built to look and function realistically, with one scenario taking place in a hospital and the other in the home of an elderly couple. Players have access to a virtual tablet containing practical frameworks and guidelines for healthcare students to support them while playing. However, the tablet should not only guide players through tasks and provide answers, but to serve as aids that help them organize information and recall procedures. In game development, how much guidance can we provide without reducing engagement?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Game<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Picture 2.<\/strong> Even with the help of the virtual tablet, players must still decide what information is relevant and how it should be applied in practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The scenarios, of course, require a substantial theoretical knowledge base to be meaningful and effective yet simply increasing the amount of information available does not necessarily improve the learning experience. And anyone who has spent time in virtual reality knows that reading is rarely the most natural or engaging activity to do there. Text must be optimized, fonts need to be large, and visual elements must remain very clear. While learners can access information through a virtual tablet, if something in it is hard to read, the illusion of being present falters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A key strength of XR-based learning overall is its ability to create immersive and interactive environments that foster a strong sense of presence. The feeling of \u201cbeing there\u201d improves the learning outcome of the players (Grassini, 2024). So, trying to create that feeling, balancing the theory and the fun (with fun referring to the experience of learning through realistic XR scenarios) required a great deal of effort and testing before it started to feel right. When developing this type of game, the objective should be to support learning through authentic, scenario-based experiences that leverage the experiential nature of XR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AI character as a learning partner<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Another challenge in simulation-based learning is creating meaningful interaction. One way is to write predetermined responses, and another, in this case, is to support player agency through interactive virtual characters that are AI-based. But using AI-supported dialogue doesn\u00b4t automatically sound natural and requires a lot of consideration while being created.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than replacing human interaction, AI can act as a metacognitive partner that supports and challenges players throughout their tasks. Players are encouraged to continuously explain and adapt their actions, making communication an active part of the learning process rather than a scripted task. (Edwards et al. 2024). Both the emergency care and palliative home care scenarios include AI-supported virtual characters capable of responding through speech recognition. The characters in palliative home care scenario respond based on the situation, their role within the scenario, and previous interactions with the player. As a result, players must interpret situations, communicate effectively, and adapt their responses in real time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the emergency care scenario, communication becomes even more complex through multiplayer functionality. Up to three players with their own roles collaborate with one another while simultaneously interacting with virtual patients, family members, and healthcare professionals. This reflects the realities of modern healthcare, where effective care depends not only on clinical expertise but also on teamworking. The importance of strengthening communication and collaboration skills in nursing education has been recognized, making such interactions a central component of simulation-based learning environments (Hur, Kim & Jung, 2025). From a game design perspective, these interactions create systems that are dynamic and the player becomes an active participant in an evolving situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Game<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Picture 3<\/strong>.  A screenshot of a work-in-progress 3D home environment designed to feel authentic and lived-in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Culture, communication and care <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Communication skills in healthcare are always shaped by the social and cultural contexts in which care takes place. Authentic healthcare requires an understanding of patients’ individual backgrounds, values, and cultural contexts. To reflect this, the palliative home care scenario takes place in a S\u00e1mi home environment and was developed in collaboration with S\u00e1mi community representatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learners are encouraged to engage directly with patients and explore their individual preferences and wishes. This approach emphasizes person-centered care and highlights the importance of understanding each patient as an individual with their own background and experiences. While cultural background remains an important consideration, patients should not be viewed solely through the lens of their cultural group. Both scenarios provide immersive opportunities to practice communication and socio-emotional skills, including empathy and interaction with patients and family members. By building such competencies as well as trust, understanding, and shared decision-making, XR can help support the players’ development in nursing education (Hara et al., 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authenticity was also considered in the design of virtual environments and characters because cultural competence is a practical component of providing safe and equitable care. Character clothing, home environments, and other visual details were created to support contextually grounded learning experiences, while motion capture technology was used to create more natural human movement and interpersonal interactions. Character voices are also based on recordings from voice actors, even though the spoken dialogue is generated by AI. Together, these elements aim to strengthen the realism and credibility of the learning experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Motion<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Picture 4.<\/strong> Character movements were recorded using Motion Capture technology. Picture: Sonja Peuraniemi<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Resilience through immersive learning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Digital solutions offer more and more promising opportunities for healthcare education, but they can\u00b4t fully replace direct patient contact or mentoring from other professionals. They can, however, strengthen learners’ preparedness and confidence before they begin climbing the next hill in their professional development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through immersive and authentic learning experiences, XRHealthEdu aims to provide learners with opportunities to practise engagement, teamwork, professional judgement and adapting in a safe environment before facing comparable situations in practice. Just as healthcare expertise is built one step at a time, immersive technologies can help learners take those steps safely before entering real-world practice. The goal is not to replace experience, but to help future professionals be more prepared when those experiences finally arrive. Ultimately, the value of XR and AI doesn\u00b4t lie in the technologies themselves, but in their ability to support the development of the players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the XRHealthEdu project<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Transforming Healthcare Education through XR and AI is an Interreg Aurora-funded project coordinated by the University of Oulu. The project is done in collaboration with FrostBit Software Lab of Lapland University of Applied Sciences and UiT The Arctic University of Norway, with a total budget of 1 227 198 \u20ac.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more: https:\/\/www.interregaurora.eu\/approved-projects\/transforming-healthcare-education-through-xr-and-ai-xrhealthedu\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

References<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edwards, J., Nguyen A., L\u00e4ms\u00e4 J., Sobocinski M., Whitehead, R., Dang, B., Roberts, A., J\u00e4rvel\u00e4, S. 2024. Human-AI collaboration: Designing artificial agents to facilitate socially shared regulation among learners. British Journal of Educational Technology, Volume 56, Issue 2, March 2025. Viitattu 4.8.2026. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/bjet.13534<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

L\u00e4ms\u00e4, J., de Mooij, S., Baars, M., Molenaar, I., J\u00e4rvel\u00e4, S. 2026. Self-Regulated Learning, Multimodal Data, and Analysis Grid: Where Are We Now and Where Are We Going? Educational Psychology Review, Volume 38, Article 5, 2026. Viitattu 4.8.2026. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s10648-025-10113-4<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hur, H. K., Kim, J., & Jung, J. S. 2025. Enhancing nursing team communication and collaboration: Impact of immersive virtual reality simulation on nursing students. Clinical imulation in Nursing, Volume 102, 101685, 2025. Viitattu 4.8.2026. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.ecns.2025.101685<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grassini, S. 2024. Beyond Textbooks: AI, XR, and the New Era of Learning. In N. A. Bakhsh (Ed.), Futuristic insights on education components: How education can meet the demands of an ever-changing world (pp. 102-125). Regional Center for Educational Planning (RCEP), UNESCO. Viitattu 6.8.2026. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hara, C. Y. N., Goes, F. D. S. N., Camargo, R. A. A., Fonseca, L. M. M., Aredes, N. D. A. (2021). Design and evaluation of a 3D serious game for communication learning in nursing education. Nurse Education Today, Volume 100, 104846, 2021. Viitattu 4.8.2026.  https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.nedt.2021.104846<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

XRHealthEdu project combines Extended Reality (XR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create immersive learning experiences for healthcare education. <\/p>\n

The goal is not to replace experience, but to help future professionals be more prepared when those experiences finally arrive. Ultimately, the value of XR and AI doesn\u00b4t lie in the technologies themselves, but in their ability to support the development of the players.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1658,"featured_media":5762,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[798270,798245,110187],"tags":[54578,94,798271,8747,798242,110207],"class_list":["post-5857","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-3-2026","category-inenglish","category-teema-artikkeli","tag-hankkeet","tag-koulutus","tag-resilienssi","tag-sosiaali-ja-terveysala","tag-tekoaly","tag-virtuaalisuus"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7X4tP-1wt","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogi.eoppimispalvelut.fi\/lumenlehti\/files\/2026\/10\/Reinikka_theme-article_Lumen_3_2026.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogi.eoppimispalvelut.fi\/lumenlehti\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5857","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogi.eoppimispalvelut.fi\/lumenlehti\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogi.eoppimispalvelut.fi\/lumenlehti\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogi.eoppimispalvelut.fi\/lumenlehti\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1658"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogi.eoppimispalvelut.fi\/lumenlehti\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5857"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogi.eoppimispalvelut.fi\/lumenlehti\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5857\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5895,"href":"https:\/\/blogi.eoppimispalvelut.fi\/lumenlehti\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5857\/revisions\/5895"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogi.eoppimispalvelut.fi\/lumenlehti\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5762"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogi.eoppimispalvelut.fi\/lumenlehti\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5857"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogi.eoppimispalvelut.fi\/lumenlehti\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5857"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogi.eoppimispalvelut.fi\/lumenlehti\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5857"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}