Virtual Reality Technology as a Factor to Improve University Sports

. The development of innovative means for university sports teaching is a growing research topic today. This study aims to determine the effect of the VR-assisted instruction on student performance in 10 sport disciplines across three universities in Western Kazakhstan. The study sample had 210 students from three different universities in Western Kazakhstan. The correlation analysis revealed a strong relationship of VR-assisted training with higher performance at the city tournament and the higher quality of the sports practice work. The proposed solution allows universities to create an effective training program for student-athletes


Introduction
Now innovative technologies actively influence the development of education.Innovations determine not only the direction of education but also affect the social, economic, and scientific landscape of the present (Kodirova, 2020).The Internet and digital technologies have facilitated access to knowledge and changed the traditional approach to university education.Online courses, open educational resources, video lectures, and interactive platforms allow students to study remotely, expanding the geography of the educational process (Kavilova, Isanova, & Ravshanova, 2020).
Innovative technology in modern higher education significantly impacts the performance of university students (Fayzievna, Narmuratovna, Mamurjanovna, Mavlyanovna, & Shukhratovna, 2020).This impact is one of the key aspects to consider.Firstly, innovative technologies expand access to learning resources.Students can develop and engage in self-study due to the large amounts of data provided by technologies (Kharatova & Ismailov, 2022).Secondly, innovative technologies promote interaction and cooperation between students and teachers.Online forums, AI, and social networks create opportunities for active communication even with online education (Tuksanova & Nazarov, 2020).Third, analytics and progress tracking allow students and teachers to track academic performance and learning effectiveness.This feature helps identify problems in time and improve teaching methods (Yusupova & Nomoanjonova, 2022).
The popularization of sports in higher education began with digitalization (Muñoz-Bullón, Sanchez-Bueno, & Vos-Saz, 2017).University sports face a range of challenges that remain understudied in the available literature.These challenges include gendered social issues, effects on students' mental health, university funding, and so forth (Yukhymenko-Lescroart, 2018).Some universities were using innovative technologies to improve physical education and make students more interested in joining some kind of sports club.Among these technologies were Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Artificial Intelligence (Soulliard, Kauffman, Fitterman-Harris, Perry, & Ross, 2019).At the same time, the adoption of technology in sports is not a common practice, even though it could revolutionize the way we train and compete (Singh et al., 2019).One explanation is that the technologies themselves are still evolving, so it is possible that new technologies will emerge that will be more suitable for adoption in sports (Abdallah & Alriyami, 2022;Chiva-Bartoll et al., 2019;Lovin, Busila, & Sava, 2023).
Although digitalization is becoming increasingly popular in education, this process interacts less actively with physical education (O'Neil, Amorose, & Pierce, 2021).In general, the implementation of technology in more applied disciplines, such as swimming or choreography, was much more challenging during the forced transition to online learning due to the coronavirus pandemic.In these disciplines, the traditional contact between the teacher and the student is vital.In addition, it is crucial to establish the practical or technical (as in sports) context of task performance (González-Serrano, Añó Sanz, & González-García, 2020).There is a need to introduce digital practices in student sports since this area remains less researched than other disciplines (Kim & Chiu, 2018).
Furthermore, it is worth noting the implementation specifics of technologies, in particular, virtual reality and AI, in certain regions.The process of implementing innovative technologies in education is slower in countries with a low level of development (Aly, 2020).Thus, Kazakhstan, which is a post-Soviet country, belongs to the states with an increased number of challenges regarding innovations in the education system.The implementation of virtual technologies in higher educational institutions in Kazakhstan has faced various problems.These problems include insufficient technical resources and infrastructure, the need to train teachers and update the education strategy, as well as issues of data security and confidentiality (Abdallah & Alkhrabsheh, 2019;Gough, Duffell, & Eustace, 2021).High-tech countries have largely overcome these barriers since the innovation process began much earlier (Samonina, 2021).

Framework
The introduction of virtual reality (VR) into the sports educational sphere is a promising direction but has received insufficient attention in the literature.This area faces challenges and limitations and, therefore, requires deeper consideration and development.Firstly, the physical aspect is essential in sports training activities.Virtual reality, despite its potential, cannot always accurately convey physical actions and reactions.Nevertheless, these features are important for sports training since every movement and touch can be decisive (Palamarchuk et al., 2020).Secondly, the creation of virtual models for various sports and training requires time and resources.VR content is a costly and complex development that is impossible without specialized knowledge and skills (Yuldashev, 2021).Thirdly, teachers and coaches may need additional education and training to use virtual reality in sports education.However, the resources of some countries do not have the potential for additional effective training (Kiryakova, Kargapoltseva, Belonovskaya, & Duzhnikov, 2021).Yet, the current research seems to focus more on the usage of innovative technologies as a means to reduce certain risks that students, teachers, and the university's administration may otherwise encounter.At the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Kazakhstan took the 83rd place.It is the most unsuccessful performance of Kazakh athletes in the history of the Olympic Games.Consequently, the Kazakhstani government ordered to revise their current approaches to the training of professional athletes and national teams (Sports KZ, 2021).

Research Purpose
Given the above, the purpose of the current study is to determine the effect of VR-assisted instruction on student performance in different sports disciplines across three universities in Western Kazakhstan.
Research objectives: (1) to evaluate student performance at the city tournaments; (2) to engage students in a VR-assisted training program for student-athletes; (3) to assess the effectiveness of the program by analyzing students' progress at the city tournaments the following year.
VR-based training was reasonable for this study because it is a relatively new and innovative technology capable of revolutionizing the way students learn.VR-based training can provide students with immersive and interactive learning experiences that are difficult to replicate with traditional teaching methods.This study analyzes the state and efficacy of university sports in Western Kazakhstan.It also explores the role of VR in student-athlete performance.Results can be useful for university coaches seeking to prepare their teams for competitions.Student-athletes can utilize the present findings to choose an innovative training strategy.

Literature overview University sports in Kazakhstan
The advent of different approaches to teaching, along with other challenges, had a considerable impact on the system of university sports (Olkhovsky, Filimonova, Zhdanovich, & Eremina, 2021), especially in Kazakhstan.Sports facilities in the state-owned universities in Kazakhstan are poorly equipped (Baiketaev, 2017;Mambetalina et al., 2022;Zheleznyak & Petrov, 2002).The Federal Law aimed at improving university/school sports provides definitions of university sports and student leagues (The Legislation of the Russian Federation, 2007).The Law came with broad prospects for the sports clubs, which now include student sports organizations.It also touches upon funding and construction of sports facilities in educational institutions (Bakhareva & Golovina, 2021;Dzyubich & Olkhovskaya, 2016;Zotova & Faizullin, 2015).One way to motivate students to join a sports club is to engage them in competitions where the main thing is not victory, but dedicated participation.This approach requires coaches to shape a proper mindset in young people (Gennadieva, 2017;Tyukalova, 2019).The functional performance testing of student teams from the St. Petersburg State University revealed the need to improve their functional training using motivational strategies (Minvaleev & Shadrin, 2014).Some researchers, however, argue that the actual problem is the training conditions (Avladadeev, 2016;Vashchuk & Medvedeva, 2018), that is, the education system itself, for it minimizes student contact with sports, limiting it to PE lessons.The main direction universities take, in this case, is the strengthening of the mental and physical health of the students (Sabekov, 2010;Zykina & Proskurina, 2021).Some researchers emphasize the need to connect different student leagues within a single information environment; it is achievable with Internet technologies (Izotov, 2017;Turovsky, 2019).As long as the student leagues exist independently from one another, the PE department will be able to organize the learning process and engage in research (Sabitov, 2002).The sports clubs are responsible for sport activities and events, and they ensure that university teams perform well (Maltseva et al., 2022).

Virtual Reality technology
Virtual reality (VR) is a computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional environment that can be interacted with in a seemingly real or physical way using special electronic equipment, such as a helmet with a screen inside or gloves fitted with sensors (Luo, Li, Feng, Yang, & Zuo, 2021).It can be used in sports training and rehabilitation applications, as well as for entertainment (Siegle, 2019).
VR is a valuable tool for boosting education, including in the sports industry.Through simulations, this technology allows athletes to practice without the risk of getting injured (Marks & Thomas, 2022).For instance, it helps soccer players learn how to tackle and basketball players practice their shot mechanics (Maas & Hughes, 2020).
VR is able to provide athletes with feedback on their performance (speed, accuracy and technique) by tracking their movements.This information can help athletes improve and avoid injury in the future (Peng, Yen, & Siswanto, 2020).Researchers increasingly report on the effectiveness of VR as a tool for enhancing student achievement.For instance, the VR-assisted instructions proved effective in improving the shooting speed and accuracy of basketball players (Alfalah, 2018).The body of research on VR-assisted training and its beneficial effect on the punching force of athletes seems to grow as well (Jensen & Konradsen, 2018).

Study design
The study took place between 2021 and 2023 and covered two academic years.The research process consists of several steps, as depicted in Figure 1.The study put forward the following hypothesis: H0: Virtual reality technologies do not have a positive impact on the success of students of sports disciplines at the universities of Western Kazakhstan In contrast, the alternative hypothesis was as follows: H1: Virtual reality technologies have a positive impact on the success of students of sports disciplines based on universities of Western Kazakhstan Thus, the dependent variable was the performance of student-athletes, and the independent variable was innovative technology.

Participants
The study involved student participants (first to fourth year) from three universities in Western Kazakhstan: [BLINDED] University, [BLINDED] University, and [BLINDED] University.The sample included 35 female (mean age, 22.3; SD, 15) and 35 male (mean age, 23.1; SD, 11) students per university, with a sampling error (p) of less than 4.73.The study used the usual random sampling.Given the total number of students who studied sports at these universities, the margin of error does not exceed 4.66.Therefore, the sample was reliable and representative for this study.

Survey
Students took part in city tournaments in 10 sports before and after being involved in an experimental training program.Each of the universities specialized in different sports.Therefore, not all groups of students can be compared.The sports disciplines included taekwondo, basketball, boxing, freestyle wrestling, table tennis, sambo, football, Kazakh kuresi (Kazakh traditional wrestling), karate, and togizkumalak (a traditional mancala family game).City tournaments in various sports were the main way to assess student performance.Participants competed in these tournaments and took places depending on their performance.The results of the city tournaments before and after the experiment determined changes in the participants' sports achievements.Scores in the tournament ranged from 1 to 12, where 1 was the lowest score and 12 was the highest.The scores were based on the average score from 5 experts.The experts nominated teachers from other universities in Kazakhstan for the reliability of the assessment.The experts considered technique and skills, physical fitness, strategy, tactics, team interaction, emotional interaction, team ethics, and so forth.
The experimental 16-week training program rested on advanced virtual reality (VR) technology to improve sports training.Program participants used special VR headsets that launched them into the exciting world of virtual reality.This virtual world was carefully designed with the help of advanced software tools, including EyeJack and Cospaces Edu, which guaranteed high quality and realism.The first two lessons of this program introduced VR technology and its capabilities to students.This stage ensured that all participants mastered the necessary skills and understood how to use VR headsets in sports training effectively.
The videos for this program were selected from the YouTube platform.The platform allowed for the inclusion of multifunctional and diverse virtual material.In addition, participants could adjust and create virtual content using the built-in graphic editor.This feature expanded their opportunities in the sports training program.
In addition, only experienced coaches who were members of the university sports industry planned and conducted the training program.The process of introducing VR technology into sports training was monitored by a qualified technical specialist to ensure the correct functioning of headsets and software.The virtual reality application created innovative conditions for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of sports training for university students.The following year, city tournaments demonstrated the academic performance of the students.The results allowed for the comparison of their basic and post-training achievements.

Data collection process
Data analysis was done in SPSS Statistics and Microsoft Excel 2007.To reveal the statistical significance and correlation between the two variables, the study utilized the results of descriptive statistics, p-value, and t-value.The researchers also determined the relationship between student progress and learning using VR.

Data analysis
The survey relied on multistage quota sampling.The sampling error was calculated using the following formula: where: Z is the Z score based on the confidence interval (95%); n is the size of the sample; σ is the standard deviation.
The sampling error was 0.885, or approximately 1%, meaning that the data obtained is reliable.The interdependence of academic performance and tournament achievements is determined using the formula below: where: a is the quantity of best results; b is the quantity of worst results; c and d represent the amount of intermediate results, respectively.

Ethical issues
All participants were informed about the goals and objectives of the study.Students gave their consent to the analysis of the survey data.The personal (age and ethnicity) and professional (specialty) details were collected, but never disclosed in any way.The study protocols were approved by the Ethical Committees of the participating universities.

Results
The goodness of fit of the VR-assisted training program was evaluated by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test.Table 1 shows conditions at which the research hypothesis is rejected or accepted.Based on the responses, the proposed training course is reliable for analyzing the effect of sporting activities at the university.The baseline information on student performance includes the results of city tournaments obtained in the 2021/22 academic year.Data in Table 2 above show that participants achieved successive results in the tournaments, and this observation is true for each sport under consideration.The first places were taken by male students in table tennis ([BLINDED] University) and Kazakh kuresi ([BLINDED] University).While the [BLINDED] University took just on silver medal, the [BLINDED] and [BLINDED] Universities earned two and five silver medals, respectively.The worst-performing student was a female boxer from the [BLINDED] University who took the 14th place.
After participating in the VR-assisted training, male and female competitors were able to perform on higher level, as evidenced by the tournament results obtained the following year (Table 3).As can be seen from data in Table 3 below, only a small number of students performed worse than last year.among female students competing in the game of Togyz kumalak who fell from the 2nd place to the 9th place in the tournament.Slight differences were present in the performance of male boxers, freestyle wrestlers, female sambo wrestlers, male soccer players, male karatists, and male kuresi wrestlers.Note that training with VR is more likely to be an impediment to sport performance among male rather than female teams, as evidenced by the results of the posttraining tournaments (Table 4).Results show a significant increase in student performance across the given universities as compared with the 2021/22 academic year.The [BLINDED] University displays the largest increase (+15%) in the percentage of prize-winning prizes compared to the previous year.The relationship between students' progress and VR-assisted training is presented in Table 5.Data in Table 5 above show a positive correlation between students' progress and training.To validate this finding, the following critical value of the correlation coefficient was obtained:   = 0.25, with a significance level of 0.05 and the degree of freedom =  − 2. The next step was as follows: √ − 1 = 0.25 ⋅ √62 − 1 = 0.25 ⋅ 7.81 = 1.95, with   √ − 1 >   √ − 1 (2.7335> 1.9525) Based on these calculations, the relationship between students' progress in competitions and the quality of university training is considered correct (  = 0.35, р < 0.05).

Discussion
The results of this study indicate that the introduction of innovative technologies in sports gives effective results.The vast majority of students showed significantly better results after training with virtual reality compared to the basic level.The possible reason is the increased motivation due to the interaction with virtual reality (Shivrinskaya & Bertseva, 2014).
The introduction of new technologies at all levels of education is vital.Some researchers claim that VR is useful for the development of motor skills and distance learning (Ding, Li, & Cheng, 2020).It can also assist students with special needs and disabilities (Kang & Kang, 2019).In addition to motor skills, the use of virtual reality can improve their coordination, balance, and other skills.As mentioned earlier, the use of digital technologies in physical education has several potential advantages, such as increased student motivation, improved learning and understanding, support for inclusivity and differentiation, and the development of digital literacy.However, it is important to use digital technologies in combination with other teaching methods and ensure that all students have equal access to technology and support (Adilova et al., 2021;de Souza Júnior, de Oliveira, & de Araújo, 2022).At the same time, the article emphasizes an integrated approach to the implementation of these programs.The duration of the course and the training of students and teachers remains the most important criterion of efficiency and effectiveness.
Despite the advantages of virtual reality, high results imply the need for eye contact with the coach without using additional resources (Cheng, 2021).Therefore, in the problem statement, this aspect is one of the key factors.The research in this field of sports and innovative technologies is insufficient.On the other hand, many countries, especially rapidly developing ones, plan to employ artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate the implementation processes (Li et al., 2021).
A bibliometric analysis of VR-based practices in physical education showed a gradually growing interest in VR among universities (Calabuig-Moreno, González-Serrano, Fombona, & Garcia-Tascon, 2020).This trend is also most noticeable in countries with a high level of development, such as the United States, Spain, and the United Kingdom.At the same time, this study shows that with a step-by-step approach, innovative technologies, such as VR, can drive the sports training of students even in less developing countries.For instance, in Kazakhstan, this approach can be effective despite the limitations described in the initial sections.AR can collect data on the performance and progress of athletes.AR sensors can track the movements of an athlete performing an exercise and provide real-time feedback (Soltani & Morice, 2020).
Another innovative technology, augmented reality, can improve motor skills, such as throwing a ball or basketball.Some researchers reported greater interest and motivation in learning motor skills among students who received instructions in augmented reality rather than traditional instructions (Chang, Zhang, Huang, Liu, & Sung, 2020).The mentioned technology has also improved engagement.This study draws similar conclusions, indicating an increase in the efficiency of students working with a digital tool as opposed to the traditional method.
Some studies also reported that instructions in virtual reality improved students' football performance and their attitude toward physical education (Lee & Lee, 2021).The researchers found a greater engagement in the classroom, which means higher attention, satisfaction, and integration.By comparison, this study focused solely on the physical effect of virtual reality learning.It did not cover student engagement and satisfaction.Nevertheless, the current study also focused on the applied results of students during interaction.One of the leading aspects of education is the acquisition of knowledge and its evaluation.Sports achievements indicated the academic success of future athletes, and, therefore, were extremely important.
If one considers the efficiency in terms of sports, more complex sports show the best result of implementation.The authors found that the use of VR in physical education and sports training can be especially useful in sports that require a high level of skill and coordination, such as basketball, football, and tennis.VR can help students improve their technique, learn new strategies, and train in different game scenarios (Li, Yi, & Gu, 2021).
On the other hand, the results were similar in the context of studying social networks.Thus, scientists pointed out that Facebook in the model of sports education can be especially useful for students with different levels of physical fitness and interests.Facebook provides a platform for students to communicate, cooperate, share resources, and receive feedback from the teacher.In general, the results of the study show that Facebook in sports education can effectively increase motivation and involvement, improve communication and cooperation, as well as develop the digital literacy of students (Bernabé Martín & Fernández Río, 2021).

Research limitations
The results in the given sports disciplines may differ from those in other sports.There may also be other external factors affecting student performance.The study sample encompassed only three universities in Western Kazakhstan.The proposed VR model does not claim to be a onefor-all solution.

Conclusion
The development of innovative means for university sports teaching is a growing research topic today, especially in regions with little experience in VR/AI-assisted learning.This study aimed to determine the effect of VR on university students' sports performance across different sports groups in Western Kazakhstan.After a 16-week VR-assisted training course, participants achieved higher results in all 10 sport disciplines under study.The correlation analysis revealed a strong connection between VR-assisted training and higher performance at the city tournament.The adoption of VR is also related to the higher quality of the university's sports practice work (  = 0.35, р < 0.05).
The proposed solution allows universities to create an effective training program for student-athletes.The study also outlined challenges associated with the organization of university sports in the Republic of Kazakhstan, which may be addressed in further studies.Future research can also investigate the possibility of utilizing other technologies in university sports, such as artificial intelligence or online learning.

Figure 1 .
Figure 1.The flowchart diagram of the research process

Table 1 .
VR-assisted training program effectiveness based on data from the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test

Table 5 .
The relationship between students' progress and VR-assisted training