Virtual reality as an innovative tool for occupational risk prevention in the university setting
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Abstract
Training in occupational risk prevention continues to rely primarily on traditional lectures, a model that limits experiential exposure to actual hazardous scenarios. Grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model and Experiential Learning Theory, this study aimed to assess the perceptions of future occupational risk prevention specialists regarding the use of virtual reality (VR) as a pedagogical tool capable of safely recreating occupational hazard situations. A quantitative, non-experimental, descriptive, and cross-sectional approach was employed, utilizing a Likert-scale questionnaire validated by expert judgment and administered to a non-probability sample of sixty-one students from the Tsa'chila Higher Technological Institute. The results show that 74% of students believe VR will be fundamental for risk prevention education, and 70% support its implementation in other academic programs, with no significant gender-based differences (p = .867); barriers related to infrastructure, faculty digital competence, and connectivity were identified. The study concludes that VR enjoys strong, widespread acceptance among students, with educational potential contingent upon faculty training and institutional and governmental investment in the maintenance and equipping of this area.
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