“Something completely different from usual”: Investigating the Potential of Assisted Reality in Enhancing Knowledge Transfer and Training Practical Skills in Caregiving Education

The need for care and the demand for qualified caregivers, combined with high trainee dropout rates and challenges in integrating theoretical and practical training, highlight the urgent need for innovative educational solutions in professional caregiving education. Mixed Reality may support learning, collaboration, and knowledge transfer in training and practice, promoting competencies, safety, and quality of care. This research explores the potential of Assisted Reality (aR) to bridge the theory-practice gap in caregiving training by offering interactive, multimodal, and immersive learning experiences. An aR-based learning scenario, aligned with didactic principles, was developed for a complex care intervention in stroke treatment. A design case study was conducted to design, develop, implement, and evaluate an aR-based learning scenario in a SkillsLab with 22 participants to investigate its impact on care-students’ knowledge acquisition and application. The work outlines initial reactions, learning effects, and challenges of incorporating aR into caregiving curricula. Initial reactions were largely positive, highlighting increased engagement, though technical challenges related to voice control emerged.