The project, which has been underway since October 2024, was coordinated by Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, with which the Faculty of Medicine at Masaryk University has a long-standing partnership. Other partners, alongside the Faculty of Medicine at Masaryk University, included the Escola Superior de Enfermagem do Porto, the University of Porto – Faculty of Medicine, and the Katholische Stiftungshochschule München – University of Applied Sciences.
Its creation was motivated by the need for innovation in the education of future midwives. The most important outcome is a new training course that offers practice in positioning and visualization of anatomical structures in virtual reality.
The goal was to create a teaching system that would strengthen students’ professional confidence and their readiness for clinical practice while enabling the use of modern, accessible, and standardized educational methods in the classroom.
Feedback from students indicates that the midwifery course utilising virtual reality was extremely beneficial. They most appreciated the opportunity to safely experience various obstetric scenarios, practice decision-making, and build professional confidence. Another major benefit was the detailed visualisation of anatomy and a better understanding of the biomechanics of childbirth, which went beyond the scope of theoretical instruction. The interactive scenarios fostered critical thinking, creative exploration of appropriate positions, and a deeper integration of theory and practice. The virtual environment provided them with space to experiment and reflect on their own work, making them feel more confident and better prepared for real clinical situations.
The project officially concluded with a presentation of the achieved outcomes and a final international webinar held on March 26, 2026. The online meeting presented opportunities to implement an AR/VR methodology in teaching, demonstrated the pilot-testing process, and facilitated discussion of the future use of the training course in a European context.
