How Can We Use VR to Help People to Learn Better

What does VR try to replicate

Reality by providing a simulated 3D environment that’s similar to what people would expect to happen in reality

Goal of VR

immerse the user enough that they feel they are involved in the simulation using all of their senses

Difference between 2 type of headset “cheap 15 vis 300 quid)

Mobile- cheap applications are limited number, phone screen quality, sound from phone no touch as no controllers

Heaset- Wide variety application almost 4k eye quality 3D positional audio, vibrations in each controller

Sound- how does which ear the sound hits first help identify the location

Sound coming from left, hit left ear first vase versa

How does how loud the sound is in each ear help identify the location

If sound comes from the left, will be louder in left ear, but you still can hear it on your right ear

Can also determine angle

3D positional audio allows

People to identify where a sound is coming from by manipulating how loud it is and which ear hears it first

Headset simulation- makes user think the sound is coming from behind them or above them ect

Why is VR so immersive standing on building plank thing

Visual= same as reality in terms of detail

SOund= IRL if you were standing high up you’d assume to hear bird noises, VR guarantees u will hear it 3D positional audio u can hear the direction

Touch= Feel the plank under your feet and wind IRL, with VR there will be a fan to imitate breeze and plank to get that feeling

Why is immersion important? Richie Plan experience

Huge difference between computer and VR, the computer shows normal reaction but VR offers 360 £D and heart rate increase

Exampe 2 driving simulator

Going to have a collision on VR would have much more of a reaction as posse to when looking at a computer

Immersion problem, even though its great at making them feel like they’re there

If you were actually put into a horror film/ car collision bad for mental and physical health, Richies plank experience says u shouldn’t use this simulation if you have a history of heart problems

VR fear of motorway driving

IRL can’t leave tilll next exit, VR if stressed just tale off headset , nobody gets hurt other than user possible researcher depending on their actions

Avoid injury for user and researcher

User- placed in middle of a room away from nearby objects and seated ideally

Reasercher- avoid being behind them and make them vocalise what thye’re going to do next/doing

Reaserch impact

Impact that the findings of reasearch have on real world (e.g changes in policy and improving pols lives) More applications your findings can have to help people, bigger your reasrch impact

rehabilitation techniques for phantom limb pain (pain to an amputee in a limb that isn’t there)

Previous reaserch found that if the amputee sees their limb reflected back at them to look like its there the pain reduced, VR tracks users hand and mimics it with their missing hand ti trick their brain to think the hand is acc there which reduces their pain

kids cross roads safely

Shows children how to cross roads safely and the possible consequences if they do it wrong..

Vr applications

Police training

fire safety behavioural skills

Pilot triainig

Medical training impriving

Police training (Kleygrewe et al 2024)

Failure to perform tasks qucjyl as police can be fatal so VR allows police to train like they would IRL but without fatal risks

Vr training VS real world training

Found police officers were just as stressed in VR environments as they were in real world training

orthoptics(eye health) project Batterly et al 2026

VR can provide students with patients with a variety of deviations ranging from mild to severe deviations, and rarer medical cases for improvement

Employability project bitterly et al 2025

combine learning employability skills with interactive nature of video games, fitting for young audience and Offers education or job interviews

Crash stats prove teaching people to drive needs improvement 67 hours needed before testt

Problems ppl face overtaking on the road

check mirror, bildspots indicate move out bla bla

If too close- crash risk sudden braking, if too close to car or if u dont check blind spot u go into them b

Methodology conditions

Between subjects design, ppl wjp dont know how to drive,

Condition 1- VR

Condition 2- Computer

Learning phase- teach people how to overtake

Assessment phase- assess how good they are at overtaking

What learning and assessment phase consists of

leanring- sat on virtual car and instructed how to overtake properly

Assesement- Windy country roads, parked cards, oncoming cars, end of road with goal

What do we measure

How often they crash and check blind spots and how close they are to cars infant its an ongoing study tho x