Files and links (1)
Beyond YouTube clips a qualitative study of manual therapy educators perceptions of 3D technology in MT education834.48 kB
Published Version (Advanced Access)CC BY-NC-ND V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Beyond "YouTube clips": a qualitative study of manual therapy educators' perceptions of 3D technology in MT education
The Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy, Vol.Advanced access
15-Feb-2026
PMID: 41693329
Abstract
Objectives
Three-dimensional (3D) technologies such as virtual reality (VR) may facilitate the teaching and learning of manual therapy (MT). Teachers play a pivotal role in determining how new tools and technology are adopted and applied in the curriculum. Moreover, educators’ feedback can guide the development of tools tailored to MT training needs. This qualitative study aimed to explore MT educators’ perceptions of current teaching methods, the role of 3D technologies in MT education, and the barriers and enablers to their integration.
Design
In-depth interviews; data were analyzed using thematic analysis.
Setting
online.
Participants
13 educators (9 males, 4 females; 10 physiotherapy, 3 osteopathy) from five different countries participated in this study.
Results
Five themes were identified that appeared to influence participants’ perception of the role of technology in manual therapy education. These were (1) Teaching strategies in MT, (2) Paradigm shift in MT education, (3) Complexities in teaching MT – Tacit and embodied challenges of palpation and specificity, (4) Role of educators in MT education and (5) Future directions and technological integration in MT education. These five themes collectively highlight both the challenges and opportunities in MT education.
Discussion and conclusion
The participants not only critiqued the current teaching methods employed in MT but also their role as an MT educator. While acknowledging the paradigm shift in MT education, participants believed that emerging technologies such as VR are transformative tools for MT education. Future research to explore the added utility of technology such as VR to traditional teaching methods is required.
Details
- Title
- Beyond "YouTube clips": a qualitative study of manual therapy educators' perceptions of 3D technology in MT education
- Authors
- Kesava Kovanur Sampath (Corresponding Author) - RMIT UniversityCindy McIntyre - Health Sciences UniversityAshokan Arumugam - Manipal Academy of Higher EducationOliver P. Thomson - Health Sciences UniversityPatrea Andersen - University of the Sunshine Coast
- Publication details
- The Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy, Vol.Advanced access
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- DOI
- 10.1080/10669817.2026.2629292
- ISSN
- 2042-6186
- PMID
- 41693329
- Copyright note
- © 2026 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
- Organisation Unit
- School of Health - Nursing
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991214173602621
- Output Type
- Journal article
Metrics
1 Record Views