Improvement of Students’ Sports Performance in VR-Based Smart Sports Teaching in Colleges and Universities

Abstract

Abstract In the complex landscape of educational information, the integration of Virtual Reality (VR) technology into secondary school physical education presents a promising avenue to enhance both teaching quality and efficiency. This article delineates the construction of a VR-based smart sports classroom, focusing on the overarching structure of the teaching program and the pivotal teaching processes. It discusses methods for analyzing and editing sports teaching videos and details the integration of VR with sports posture estimation. This includes the development of a virtual human body motion imaging model and corresponding motion-solving algorithms. An empirical study was conducted within a secondary school sports classroom to assess the feasibility and impact of VR technology on physical education. The study involved a comparative analysis of physical quality between an experimental group taught using VR technology and a control group taught using traditional methods. Additionally, the study examined changes in learning interest pre- and post-intervention in both groups. Statistical analysis revealed that the p-values for the three evaluated physical tests—20-meter sprint, shuttle run, and 30-second rope skipping—were all above 0.05, suggesting no significant difference in physical performance due to the VR intervention. However, significant improvements were observed in the dimensions of sports participation (p < 0.05), positive interest (p = 0.013 < 0.05), and focus on sports (p > 0.05), indicating an enhancement in students’ engagement and attitudes toward learning. Conversely, the negative interest dimension also showed significant changes (p < 0.05). These findings underscore the beneficial role of VR technology in enriching the learning experience and potentially improving academic outcomes in college-level physical education.