Participant sample
A stratified random sampling approach was applied. The 188 volunteers from the first‐year student cohort were stratified by their prevailing grade average (above or below 70%) and by age (above or below 25 years), resulting in four strata. Students from each of the four strata were randomly allocated to two groups: 94 to the cohort who would learn with VR simulation and 94 to the cohort who would learn with physical simulation. The initial stratification allowed equivalence to be assumed between the two groups.Both groups had the same previous experience in the degree programme. All the students had completed three two‐day clinical department visits as part of their degree orientation. They had observer time in general radiography, operating theatre, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and nuclear medicine, with radiographic nurses in angiography, and accompanied porters. No student had operated any radiographic equipment.