VR Research – University of Suffolk

Delivering soft skills training at scale can be costly both in time and money. Virtual reality training scenarios simulate realistic workplace scenarios and are a highly sophisticated form of role play.

Using virtual embodiment, the learners interact with a virtual character, then swap bodies and watch an avatar of themselves as the situation is played back. The impact of this new perspective encourages self-reflection and embeds learning from practical experience within a virtual environment.

Securing a New Anglia Growth Through Innovation Fund (GTi) grant in 2020, enabled us to research and develop the skills and knowledge necessary to understand and utilise virtual reality as a delivery platform for learning.

Part of this funding was used for software packages and training to produce blended learning programmes, i.e., content to go around the VR scenarios in addition to live training from an instructor.

We also used the grant to purchase licences for the Bodyswaps platform, a VR and mobile platform we had identified for soft skills training. Since 2019, London-based Bodyswaps has helped a wide range of organisations deliver measurable value by building more empathic workplaces and fostering greater inclusivity.

 

Working with the University of Suffolk

In addition to the GTi funding, we also secured a grant from EIRA, (Enabling Innovation: Research to Application), an organisation that supports innovation in the East of England. This enabled us to work with academics from the University of Suffolk to investigate how virtual reality scenarios could improve the delivery of soft skills training in the workplace.

The objectives of the usability testing were:

1) To understand the experience of engaging in training utilising embodied virtual reality and conversational artificial intelligence;

2) To explore the possible contribution of embodied virtual reality and conversational artificial intelligence in a training context;

3) To identify any issues experienced/observations made by the users during their training experience.

Research participants were given access to an immersive VR coaching tool developed by Bodyswaps. The mean age of participants was 39.6 years (SD = 10.09), and their ages ranged between 29 – 58 years.

Results

Once training had been completed, the participants engaged in a focus group. Participants’ own subjective experience was overwhelmingly positive about the value of using VR for skills development. Also, all participants unanimously agreed that they would learn more effectively in an immersive environment, confirming that VR is effective for delivering training of this type.

From the project, we also understand the necessity of giving participants enough time to get used to the headsets and virtual environment before beginning any training scenario.

 

If you’d like to find out more about our research collaboration with the University of Suffolk on the use of VR for soft skills training, then please click this link Blue Novation – VR and Soft Skills to download our PDF.