Deconstructing Participant Behaviors in Virtual Reality Simulation: Ethnographic Analysis

Participants' focus on the physical examination findings in VR, as opposed to the cardiorespiratory monitor, potentially indicates simulation of an identical, more patient examination-centered approach to clinical data gathering. In addition, the multiple data sources allowed for participant cognitive load and task burden that may better mirror real-life clinical care. However, technical features that required straying from real-world task completion, as well as other navigational and interactional challenges in VR, led to breaks in fidelity and shifted focus away from the learning objectives. These findings underscore the need for continued research on how simulation modality, fidelity, and technical challenges may influence participant attention and behavior, to allow thoughtful alignment between desired learning objectives and mode of training.