Authors: Friederike Aulenbacher, KSH
Date: 30.09.2025

At this year’s Interdisciplinary Simulation Symposium (InSiM 2025), the PROGRESSION team hosted an interactive workshop showcasing their innovative virtual reality (VR) learning environment for midwifery students.

The session offered participants an opportunity to experience firsthand how immersive technologies can transform healthcare education.

During the workshop, attendees explored several VR training scenarios developed within the PROGRESSION project. Equipped with headsets, they stepped into scenarios designed to foster clinical decision-making skills during birth with malposition of the fetus. The interactive format allowed participants to experience complex birthing situations from the perspective of a midwife, gaining insights that go far beyond traditional classroom learning.

The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Many participants emphasized how engaging and authentic the VR experience felt, and how it could enhance the confidence and preparedness of midwifery students before entering clinical practice. The workshop also sparked inspiring discussions among educators, simulation experts, and healthcare professionals about integrating immersive learning tools into interdisciplinary training programs.

For the PROGRESSION team, InSiM 2025 was an excellent opportunity to share project outcomes, gather feedback from the simulation community, and exchange ideas for future development. The enthusiastic participation and curiosity of attendees confirmed that virtual reality has great potential to enrich healthcare education - making learning more experiential, reflective, and impactful.