In March 2026, a group of students from the Department of Nursing at Cyprus University of Technology (CUT), currently in their sixth semester and enrolled in the course NUR_353: Child Nursing Care, participated in the pilot implementation of the Virtual Reality platform developed as part of the Erasmus+ research project Extended Reality Learning Framework for Pediatric Nursing Students (PeDXR), together with members of the research team.
As noted in a relevant press release from CUT, during the pilot phase, a series of structured activities were carried out with the aim of enhancing student engagement and the overall learning experience. The session began with an introduction to the PeDXR project by the Scientific Coordinator of the project, Dr. Christiana Nicolaou, Assistant Professor at the Department of Nursing, Cyprus University of Technology.
Subsequently, Dr. Christiana Nicolaou and Ioanna Pieri (Research Associate, Department of Nursing, Cyprus University of Technology) presented the theoretical background underpinning the thematic areas of the PeDXR Virtual Reality scenarios. Within the framework of family-centered care, two scenarios were developed focusing on the care of a child with diabetes mellitus. The first scenario focused on communication skills during medical history-taking of a child newly diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, while the second addressed parent education regarding capillary blood glucose monitoring in the child.
A practical demonstration followed, during which participants were guided through the navigation of the platform, the application of the PeDXR framework, and the successful completion of the simulation exercises. The demonstration was conducted by Christos Aristotelous (IT Supervisor at CUTing Edge). Students then actively engaged in the hands-on testing of the platform, applying their knowledge and skills in an interactive and immersive learning environment.
To evaluate the effectiveness of the educational experience, students’ knowledge levels were assessed both before and after the completion of the pilot session. These data will serve as an important component in evaluating the effectiveness of the PeDXR platform in enhancing students’ knowledge and skills in pediatric nursing.
In recent years, Virtual Reality has emerged as a highly innovative and dynamic tool in education, offering students unique and immersive learning experiences, opportunities to develop new skills, and the possibility of experiencing situations that would otherwise be difficult to simulate in traditional educational settings. The PeDXR project actively promotes this modern educational approach, and the pilot session represented an important step toward strengthening students’ confidence in using Virtual Reality tools, supporting their educational journey and contributing to the development of their competencies in child nursing care.
"Special thanks are extended to CUTing Edge for hosting the event — a space dedicated to inspiring and encouraging individuals to embrace technology while preparing them for the modern and competitive professional and business environment. Additional gratitude is expressed to Ms. Andrea Papadopoulou (Office Manager at CUTing Edge) and Mr. Christos Aristotelous (IT Supervisor at CUTing Edge) for their valuable technical support and guidance, and for their significant contribution to the practical training of the students throughout the PeDXR pilot implementation," the press release concluded.
