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Title of the thesis: The Impact of Online Flipped Childbirth Education with Virtual Reality

Thesis defender: Marjaana Siivola 
Opponent: Prof. Professor Kaisa Väänänen, Tampere University, Finland
Custos: Prof. Lauri Malmi, Aalto University School of Science

User-centered online childbirth education meets the needs of expectant parents

Many expectant parents lack access to high-quality childbirth education, which can increase stress and anxiety. Midwives emphasize that insufficient preparation may weaken the birth experience, affect the baby’s well-being, and even limit family planning.

Licentiate of Technology, online learning specialist, and childbirth educator Marjaana Siivola explored parents’ needs for childbirth education and reasons for non-participation in her doctoral dissertation. The study showed that some parents found existing classes inadequate: they did not meet families’ needs, learning goals were not achieved, and the courses were seen as inflexible. Participation was often hindered by long distances, scheduling difficulties, illness, or fully booked groups. Parents called for user-centered, flexible, and accessible childbirth education.

To address these needs, two online learning courses were developed using flipped learning and virtual reality. Flipped learning combined an online course, available throughout pregnancy, with regular remote meetings that allowed anonymous discussion, professional support, and peer interaction. Virtual reality offered parents a realistic and immersive view of childbirth, the delivery room environment, and communication with midwives. Both methods significantly improved parents’ preparation for birth.

The dissertation also produced guidelines for using flipped learning in continuous adult education. As the EU aims for 60% of adults to participate in lifelong learning, flipped learning provides an effective tool for achieving this goal.  

The study further emphasized the importance of usability in virtual reality applications. VR is a rapidly developing field in education, and wider adoption requires stronger focus on user experience.

Keywords: childbirth education, online learning, flipped learning, virtual reality, online course, online meeting, usability, user-centered design

Thesis available for public display 7 days prior to the defence at . 

Contact information: marjaana.siivola@aalto.fi and 050-5969011