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Development of fire safety behavioral skills via virtual reality
Abstract
In recent years, virtual reality has become prevalent in many educational settings. In this study, virtual reality-based behavioral skills training (VR-BST) approach is proposed to teach basic behavioral skills for fire safety. A virtual reality-based environment was designed and implemented in the context of the design-based research. A group of ten primary school students received a basic fire safety training package through this environment and in situ training was implemented when needed. The results indicated that students’ fire safety behavioral skills significantly improved with the use of virtual reality based training and the majority of the students could transfer their behavioral skills to real environments. The way of modelling the behaviors in this study and integrating in situ training into the learning environment positively contributed to the development of behavioral skills. The study concludes with suggestions for practitioners and researchers in the field of virtual reality for behavioral skills training.
... This lack of knowledge and awareness puts children at risk of misusing fire or being harmed by fire. FSE aims to improve children's knowledge and awareness of fire and fire safety to reduce this risk (Cakiroglu & Gokoglu 2019;Dukes et al. 2016;Subramaniam 2004). If children are aware of the risk posed by fire, the need for immediate response to fire, and knowledge of fire safety, they will be more likely to behave and respond appropriately (Office of the Advocate for Children and Young People 2020; Subramaniam 2004). ...
... FSE should implement the 'instruction, modelling, rehearsal, and feedback' approach There is evidence to suggest that FSE should be taught using the 'instruction, modelling, rehearsal, and feedback' approach (Cakiroglu & Gokoglu 2019;Dukes et al. 2016;Giesler 2017). Instruction refers to information given to children about the correct behaviour in specific situations; modelling to the imitation of demonstrated behaviour; rehearsal to the practice of this newly learnt behaviour; and feedback to positive reinforcement when behaviours are modelled correctly and instructive feedback when they are not (Cakiroglu & Gokoglu 2019;Dukes et al. 2016). ...
... FSE should implement the 'instruction, modelling, rehearsal, and feedback' approach There is evidence to suggest that FSE should be taught using the 'instruction, modelling, rehearsal, and feedback' approach (Cakiroglu & Gokoglu 2019;Dukes et al. 2016;Giesler 2017). Instruction refers to information given to children about the correct behaviour in specific situations; modelling to the imitation of demonstrated behaviour; rehearsal to the practice of this newly learnt behaviour; and feedback to positive reinforcement when behaviours are modelled correctly and instructive feedback when they are not (Cakiroglu & Gokoglu 2019;Dukes et al. 2016). Importantly, this approach has been identified as effective in teaching fire safety skills to children with learning or behavioural problems, such as autism (Dukes et al. 2016). ...
Fire safety education (FSE) is implemented by fire services around the world to enhance children’s capacity to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from fire. In fact, prevention through education is the first line of defence against misuse of fire and fire related injuries and fatalities in children. Despite widespread implementation, there were no overarching evidence-based guidelines informing the development or evaluation of programs.
In light of this gap, and to ensure the implementation of best practice FSE, Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) conducted a comprehensive study, in two parts. The study evaluated the theoretical underpinnings, processes, and outcomes of FRNSW’s existing fire safety education programs for children and subsequent pilot testing of the modified programs. Three programs underwent evaluation: Pre Ed for children aged three to five years; Fire Ed 1 for students aged five to seven years; and Fire Ed 2 for students aged ten to twelve years.
... The users experience unique insights into the way the real world works (Li et al., 2018). Nowadays, VR is used for developing behavioural skills, fire skill training (Cakiroglu and Gokoglu, 2019), transfer of safety knowledge, and enhance hazard awareness by creating controlled and safe experiences of the unsafe environment (Eiris et al., 2020). Both VR and AR have been used for industrial and corporate training for workers (Li et al., 2018;Wu et al., 2013;Cakiroglu and Gokoglu, 2019;Eiris et al., 2020). ...
... Nowadays, VR is used for developing behavioural skills, fire skill training (Cakiroglu and Gokoglu, 2019), transfer of safety knowledge, and enhance hazard awareness by creating controlled and safe experiences of the unsafe environment (Eiris et al., 2020). Both VR and AR have been used for industrial and corporate training for workers (Li et al., 2018;Wu et al., 2013;Cakiroglu and Gokoglu, 2019;Eiris et al., 2020). Both these CMs are highly engaging (Burke et al., 2006). ...
... The study of Weiss et al. (2002) and many other researchers demonstrate the selection of different CM for different training methods resulting in increased empowerment and OSH awareness levels of workers (Weiss et al., 2002;Garcia-Hernandez et al., 2019;Kumasaki et al., 2018;Wu et al., 2013;Cakiroglu and Gokoglu, 2019;Eiris et al., 2020;Park and Kim, 2013;Wijayanayake and Higa, 1999;Mayer and Sims, 1994;Mayer and Anderson, 1992;Miller, 1957). ...
Communication Media (CM) play a significant role in OSH awareness and training for employees of organisations. As there is no guideline for selecting appropriate CM in a given context, the superiority of a particular CM over another for any specific OSH-AT program is solely judged by the individual's conscience and experience. Hence, the present review aimed to portray the advantages and disadvantages of different CM, their role in effective OSH awareness/training, and factors that determine the advantage of one CM over others in a specific scenario. The article highlights the research lacunae pertaining to the domain of CM's role in effective OSH based on available information in peer-reviewed published articles searched from 'Web of Science', 'Scopus' and 'Google Scholar' following the PRISMA-ScR model for review. The current review is expected to motivate and assist the OSH professionals in selecting an appropriate CM for delivering successful OSH awareness and training. Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Chaudhuri, S.B., Majhi, M. and Karmakar, S. (2021) 'A scoping review on role of communication media for effective OSH awareness and training', Int. He is an associated with a well-equipped 'Ergonomics Laboratory' in the Department of Design, IIT Guwahati, and continuing his research work in ergonomics/human factors, safety, and occupational health diverse design and developmental setups. Six (06) research scholars have been awarded PhD degrees under his guidance. A total of 34 research papers in peer-reviewed international journals and 36 research papers in various refereed international conference proceedings are in his credit.
... The main advantages of using VR for evacuation training is the opportunity to overcome some of the limitations of traditional training methods, like limited engagement and cost. In Çakiroglua and Gökoglu (2019) [71] VR is deemed to allow more realistic scenarios than traditional training as participants can be exposed to smoke, fire, or otherwise potentially harmful situations. Participants can also experience emergency scenarios in high-risk environments in a safe space, examples are underground structures [72] or mines [45]. ...
... As it is relatively easy to track a number of parameters and behaviour of trainees in VR applications, objectives of VR SGs can be extended to also collect behavioural data [67,85]. These systems can be further diversified by including assessment and feedback of trainee behaviour [71]. Nian-Feng and Xiao (2018) [86] and Yang et al. (2021) [78] mention VR as an opportunity for training, user assessment, and gathering behavioural data at the same time. ...
... In Çakiroglua and Gökoglu (2019) [71] the transferability of skills acquired in virtual behavioural skills training is investigated and discussed: They employ in-situ assessments following the training session to investigate if participants apply their new knowledge and exhibit desired behavioural patterns. It is found that most participants did show adequate reactions and that emotions like 'fear and excitement' positively drive evacuation decisions [71]. ...
This paper presents a scoping review of methods for fire evacuation training in buildings. It adopts the PRISMA methodology (Transparent Reporting of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) and systematically identifies 73 sources among scientific literature published between 1997 and 2022. It was found that the literature is dominated by research on modern technology (Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Serious Games) for evacuation training emphasizing that increased immersion, engagement, and realism positively affect learning effects. These technologies may be able to overcome main drawbacks of traditional evacuation drills bringing down cost and reducing the disruptiveness of evacuation training. However, great inconsistencies in measuring performance of trainees and lack of reasoning in the design of training programmes impede conclusions that go beyond qualitative trends. The field would profit from clear methodologies to assess evacuation performance and training effects and from transdisciplinary approaches aimed at ensuring that training can deliver on its educational goals.
... VR training scenarios involving fire have been deeply investigated in the literature (Fathima et al. 2019;Morélot et al. 2021;Çakiroğlu and Gökoğlu 2019). However, to the best of the authors' knowledge, they have not been studied in the context of formal firefighting training courses. ...
... Fire simulation was driven by a non-physically accurate, yet plausible, spreading logic, which enabled a direct interaction with the fire in the execution of dynamic extinguishing operations. Çakiroğlu and Gökoğlu (2019) presented a VRTS to deliver basic fire safety training to a group of primary school students. The training was organized in several phases. ...
... The methodology adopted to integrate the use of the VRTS within the existing course was inspired to the training process proposed by Çakiroğlu and Gökoğlu (2019). Several modifications were introduced to make the additional training experiences fit the original course schedule. ...
One key aspect for the safety and success of first responders’ operations is the compliance, during the intervention, with all the safety procedures and prescribed behaviors. Although real-world simulation exercises are considered as the best way to verify if operators are ready to handle emergency situations, they are not always a viable approach. Firefighting courses, for example, do not usually include this kind of activities, due to the numerous hazards related to deploying controlled fires for the simulation. However, traditional training approaches based on class lessons and multimedia learning material may not be particularly effective for teaching practical skills and procedural behaviors. In this work, the use of a Virtual Reality Training Simulation (VRTS) combined with passive haptic interfaces and a real-time fire simulation logic is investigated as a complement to a traditional video-based training approach used in the context of forest firefighting. The teaching of safety concepts and correct use of individual firefighting tools was selected as a use case, and a user study involving 45 trainees was carried out in the context of an existing training course. One third of the trainees attended the traditional video-based lessons of the course, whereas the remaining ones also took part to a practice training session, half of them with the devised VRTS, the others in the real world. Experimental results showed that the additional use of the devised VRTS improved the trainees’ procedural learning, as well as their motivation and perceived quality of the overall learning experience.
... In recent years, advancements in virtual reality (VR) technology coupled with the accessibility and affordability of VR hardware and software tools have resulted in its widespread adoption and diverse applications across various domains. One of the major and compelling uses of VR is in training across different domains, such as the military (Li and Harris 2008;Pallavicini et al. 2016), sports (Akbaş et al. 2019), healthcare (Pawassar and Tiberius 2021), construction safety (Perlman et al. 2014;Le et al. 2015;Zhang et al. 2019Zhang et al. , 2022Getuli et al. 2020;Xu and Zheng 2021), disaster preparedness (Liang et al. 2019;Sermet and Demir 2019;Isleyen et al. 2021) and emergency training (Smith and Ericson 2009;Rüppel and Schatz 2011;Gong et al. 2015;Li et al. 2017;Çakiroğlu and Gökoğlu 2019;Cao et al. 2019;Feng et al. 2020;Lovreglio et al. 2021;Sermet and Demir 2022). ...
... Lovreglio et al. (2021) compare fire extinguisher training using a VR simulation with a non-interactive training video and the results show that the VR-assisted training provided better knowledge acquisition, retention of information, and change of self-efficacy. A VR-based training framework by Çakiroğlu and Gökoğlu (2019) indicated that VR enhances fire safety behavioral skills in participants and facilitates their application in real-world settings. ...
Disaster emergency management is crucial for safeguarding lives and the environment in the face of natural and human-caused calamities, such as quick clay landslides. Disaster emergency management encompasses hazard identification, prevention, response, and recovery, most of which require knowledge and information acquired through training initiatives. Quick clay landslides pose a substantial hazard in regions like Scandinavia, Canada, Alaska, and Russia. With numerous historical incidents, knowledge-based awareness of quick clay landslide hazards is of paramount importance. In recent years, the area of application of virtual reality (VR) has grown tremendously from the entertainment industry to the military, to mental health, to hazard identification training and our daily lives. VR has been widely employed in hazard identification and prevention, safety training, evacuation, search and rescue, and damage identification of hazards. This study outlines the design, development, and implementation of QuickAware, a VR tool designed to create awareness of quick clay hazards. The development process of the tool started with a co-design approach where stakeholder experts were brought to collaborate in setting up VR scenarios and defining the VR environment contents. The contents were then conceptualized and translated into a VR experience. The novelty of the tool is that it immerses users in a realistic experience, allowing them to engage directly with the causes and consequences of quick clay landslide disasters which would be dangerous in real-life. The usability of the VR tool was examined by surveying 16 participants. The preliminary results of the survey indicated that the tool has a promising value in improving awareness creation for quick clay landslide hazards.
... The Kirkpatrick model measures a training program from four levels: reaction, learning, behaviour, and results. (Çakiroğlu & S. Gökoğlu, 2019;Kirkpatrick, 2015) followed the Behavioural Skills Training (BST) model to provide safety training. The BST model suggests an active learning environment consisting of instruction, modelling, rehearsal, and feedback (Himle & Miltenberger, 2004;Stewart et al., 2007). ...
... Immediately feedback for action, regardless of a consequence, was a standard instructional method, particularly in response to erroneous action, and has been widely employed. The most prevalent mode of feedback provision is via verbal description accompanied by a highlighted test message that indicates the correct response (Çakiroğlu & Gökoğlu, 2019). Specific experiments have exclusively employed textual messages to correct irreversible errors with a few seconds pause (Buttussi & Chittaro, 2018;Chittaro & Buttussi, 2015). ...
Unsafe behaviour in the workplace and disaster events can lead to serious harm and damage. Safety training has been a widely studied topic over the past two decades. Its primary aim is to save lives and minimise damage but requires regular refreshers. New digital technologies are helping in the process of enhancing safety training for better knowledge acquisition and retention. Among them, Virtual Reality (VR) can provide an engaging and exciting training experience, and there is a need to evaluate its application and effectiveness in safety training. This study aims to investigate VR safety training solutions applied to various industries (excluding medical and military applications), such as construction, fire, aviation, and mining. This was achieved by systematically reviewing 52 articles published between 2013 and 2021 to answer nine research questions. Fourteen domains were examined, with construction and fire safety training being the most prevalent since 2018. Findings reveal that only a small percentage (9.6%) of the studies explicitly adopted theories while developing and testing VR applications. Additionally, this review highlights a critical need for long-term retention measurements, as only 36% of studies provided such data. Finally, the two meta-analyses proposed in this work demonstrate that VR safety training outperforms traditional training in terms of knowledge acquisition and retention.
... Safety awareness is an important part of the safety training in IVR because it has general implications for participants' overall situational awareness, which is the perception of the elements in the environment within a volume of time and space, the comprehension of meaning, and the projection of their status in the near future (Endsley, 1987;. Improving participants' situation awareness can, for instance, be done through IVR training for increased safety awareness among practitioners in construction (e.g., Sacks et al., 2013) or mining (e.g., Pedram et al., 2020), enhanced industrial safety skills in manufacturing (e.g., Radhakrishnan et al., 2021), and development of fire safety behavioral skills (e.g., Çakiroğlu et al., 2019;Morélot et al., 2021). ...
... For example, by employing the four proposed characteristics, an IS scholar within the domain of design science might incorporate the characteristics of 'justificatory knowledge' (Gregor & Jones, 2007) or 'kernel knowledge' (Gregor & Hevner, 2013) that informs the design process and development of design principles that guide the builders of meaningful IVR systemsparticularly if, through experimentation, evaluation, and sharing observations, the design principles can be refined iteratively across different contexts of application. Additionally, other IS scholars might employ the characteristics to formulate specific design elements (as opposed to general design principles) for IVR spaces that are designed to facilitate meaningful IVR experiences in the context of, for instance, education and safety training (Çakiroğlu & Gökoğlu, 2019;Morélot et al., 2021). This would also contribute to previous calls made by IS scholars (e.g., Radianti et al., 2020) to advance research that produces design knowledge for IVR training applications. ...
Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) technology is becoming central for Information Systems (IS) research. However, existing studies in IS fall short of providing insights into how the IVR experience becomes meaningful for end-users. To increase granularity and specificity in this regard, researchers have suggested that the IVR experience can become meaningful due to its fleeting feeling of escapism. In this paper, I explore and characterize how individuals use the IVR experience to create meaning in the context of meaningful escapism, by undertaking a phenomenology inspired inquiry, based on Heideggerian views on meaning, meaningfulness, and world. Interviews and analysis were conducted within an empirical case of IVR fire safety training. As a result, four characteristics of the IVR experience as a meaningful form of escapism were unveiled: a sense of content, a sense of familiarity, a sense of mood, and a sense of care. Throughout this study, I offer a nuanced perspective on how the characteristics contribute to clarifying the distinctions and relationship between meaning and meaningfulness, as well as how the IVR experience becomes a meaningful escapism that provides an alternative of individual’s being-in-the-world, into a being-in-the-virtual-world, also known as Virtual Dasein. Further, this study contributes to the IS field by advancing the current discourse on IVR research and escapism, from a phenomenological perspective.
... However, their research measured the participants' behavior through implicit performance in the VR environment. Finally, Çakiroğlu and Gökoğlu (2019) proposed a VR-based behavior skills approach to teach basic behavior skills for fire safety. That study found that the sense of presence in the VR-based environment could play a crucial role in the virtual environment to improve the behavior skills toward fire safety. ...
... In general, evaluation of VR safety training effectiveness mostly has focused on whether it helps to enhance trainees' knowledge on potential safety issues and required safety behaviors without investigating whether trainees are committed to make a change (e.g., Çakiroğlu and Gökoğlu 2019;Leder et al. 2019;Shi et al. 2019). In this regard, this study includes not only safety-related knowledge (relevant to the contemplation and preparation stages), but also behavioral intention (relevant to the preparation stage) as learning outcome variables for evaluating training effectiveness. ...
Immersive virtual reality (VR)–based training has been widely proposed in different firms to improve the hazard recognition skills of their workforce and change their unsafe behavior. However, little is known about the impact of VR-based training on the user’s behavior and learning. With the use of structural equation modeling (SEM), this study investigated the impact of VR-based training on 60 participants, and the results supported the mediating effect of VR system features on the users’ acquisition of knowledge, behavioral intention, and satisfaction. The results also indicated that the VR system features were a significant antecedent to psychological factors (presence, motivation, enjoyment, and self-efficacy). This suggests that there are two general paths: (1) usability and fidelity (UF)–enjoyment (EJ)–behavioral intention (BI); and(2) UF–EJ–satisfaction (ST), by which VR-based safety training can have a positive impact on the users’ behavior. This study also revealed that the higher level of presence in the VR training environment would not exert a strong influence on users’ behavior. The findings of this study could help to better design VR-based training programs in a cost-effective way and thus could maximize the benefits of VR technology for industry.
... Multimedia learning resources, as in mobile learning, as one sort of virtual advances, can assist understudies with understanding dynamic themes and increasing understudy inspiration (Anitah, 2011;Makransky & Lilleholt, 2018;Poedjiastoeti, 1999;Rubinson, 1995;Smaldino et al., 2008), just as decidedly affecting the mastering results of understudies' conduct abilities-preparing (Cakiroglu & Gokoglu, 2019). A large number of investigations look at the possible utilisation of mobile learning innovation at the college level: it improves apparent learning adequacy (Mayer, 2011;Molenda, 1990;Munir, 2013;Zhang et al., 2017), upgrades understudies' learning results and premium in ecological schooling (Su, 2018), drenches in mobile learning impacts with apparent learning results in science (Makransky et al., 2016), convinces innovation as video tips and deceives computer-generated reality-based perspectives or potential practices in the space of medical care (Chow et al., 2017) and improves fire well-being conduct abilities (Cakiroglu & Gokoglu, 2019;Lee & Kim, 2021;Tamim, 2021). ...
... Multimedia learning resources, as in mobile learning, as one sort of virtual advances, can assist understudies with understanding dynamic themes and increasing understudy inspiration (Anitah, 2011;Makransky & Lilleholt, 2018;Poedjiastoeti, 1999;Rubinson, 1995;Smaldino et al., 2008), just as decidedly affecting the mastering results of understudies' conduct abilities-preparing (Cakiroglu & Gokoglu, 2019). A large number of investigations look at the possible utilisation of mobile learning innovation at the college level: it improves apparent learning adequacy (Mayer, 2011;Molenda, 1990;Munir, 2013;Zhang et al., 2017), upgrades understudies' learning results and premium in ecological schooling (Su, 2018), drenches in mobile learning impacts with apparent learning results in science (Makransky et al., 2016), convinces innovation as video tips and deceives computer-generated reality-based perspectives or potential practices in the space of medical care (Chow et al., 2017) and improves fire well-being conduct abilities (Cakiroglu & Gokoglu, 2019;Lee & Kim, 2021;Tamim, 2021). This exploration fills the gap in designing the utilisation of computer-generated reality-based learning media as another method of showing second language acquisition. ...
Innovation in learning media development to facilitate students in supporting optimal learning outcomes is essential. This study aims to design mobile learning multimedia development production related to the mastery of English as a communication tool at the secondary level. It applies the following (4D) procedure: 1) define, which includes theoretical and need analysis; 2) design, which contains an identification of core competencies and basic competencies, selection and collection of materials, making flowcharts and storyboards; 3) develop, which includes the stages of media production, validation of media experts, validation of material experts and student response questionnaires and product trials; and 4) disseminate, which covers the activity of spreading the final validated product to the affiliated users used as learning media and or resources in the instructional process. The product development being tested has gone through several stages: a review from a media expert that includes aspects of software engineering and visual communication and a review from a material expert that contains parts of material and learning design. Students’ responses include technical and interesting aspects, limited trials, extensive trials and are feasible for medium learning, resulting in effective and efficient online learning resources. Keywords: Innovation; design; development; learning multimedia
... Thus, innovative tools are essential to accurately describe the specificity of radiation in the real world. Artificial reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies are currently being used to increase the proficiency of stakeholders in safety -related fields (14) . Currently, during the Fourth Industrial Revolution, various fields are introducing new AR and VR technologies to improve the proficiency of specific behaviors in special situations. ...
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... Survival skills can significantly influence individual behaviors (Houvouras IV & Harvey, 2014), survival methods (McLennan et al., 2019, and evacuation strategies (Rüppel and Schatz, 2011) of people in the fire. Behavioral skills training (BST) is practical for obtaining survival skills and improving individuals' safety (Cakiroglu and Gokoglu, 2019;Houvouras IV and Harvey, 2014). In reality, some residents may have applied some survival skills, but it is unclear and not well-trained. ...
It is always challenging to seek external rescue assistance in high-rise building fires. Therefore, it is critical for individuals to master survival skills. For crowd dynamics modeling, previous research focused on numerical simulations and building designs with little attention to the self-rescue mechanism. It is critical to understanding crowd evacuations and better response strategies. We modeled the Grenfell Tower (a high-rise building with a complicated structure) case in 2017. Based on the percolation and social force models, we build an agent-based model to simulate individual behaviors inside. We obtain the optimal solution and robust paralleled outcomes under all counterfactual situations based on precisely matching tangible case outcomes (fire duration, deaths, and injuries). For individuals, mastering self-rescue skills is better at reducing social losses (deaths & injuries). In terms of high-rise buildings design, the central alarm system is also useful to reduce them. Besides, the crowd evacuation guided by the social force model also reduces deaths & injuries. This work provides insight into better high-rise building design and practical response strategies for societies. The central alarm system and fireproof materials should be used in high-rise buildings. The residents should have routine training in social force-based evacuations and survival (self-rescue) skills to better the evacuation process and outcome under natural disasters and social emergencies.
... The combination of VR modeling and in-situ training contributed to behavior improvement. The study provides suggestions for VR-based behavioral skills training practitioners and researchers [22]. ...
The construction industry has witnessed a surge in heat-related accidents alongside rising summertime temperatures, exposing workers to potential injuries. The absence of specific heat stress standards by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) underscores the urgent need for more comprehensive and interactive educational materials to prevent such incidents in construction projects. This study proposes the adoption of an interactive Virtual Reality (VR) application to offer construction workers realistic and effective training, mitigating heat-related injuries. During the training sessions, VR headsets were utilized to immerse workers in two lifelike scenarios: (1) Addressing self-care during heat exhaustion; (2) Assisting a coworker experiencing heat exhaustion. A case study evaluated the effectiveness of the proposed VR training for 82 construction workers from two companies. Company A had traditional training, while Company B used VR training. Both groups took pre- and post-assessment surveys with six questions. The pre-assessment found no significant knowledge difference between the groups. After training, VR showed a significant reduction in incorrect answers compared to traditional training. Statistical tests confirmed the superiority of VR training (p-value = 0.00152 < 0.05), suggesting its effectiveness in preventing heat-related injuries in construction compared to traditional training methods.
... The Ministry of Education Malaysia in the Ikhtisas Circular Letter No. 6/2000 explains safe schools as "Schools are always safe and free from incidents that do not desire such as students being threatened, abducted, raped, involvement in drugs, gangsterstyle treatment and engaging in gangster activities or "triad society"" (4). The school is unsafe enough if regulatory and legal aspects are not considered. ...
Introduction: Fire safety awareness among kindergarten teachers is vital beyond emergencies. It prevents accidents, calms kids, and provides a safe learning space. Teachers who prioritize fire safety demonstrate concern for students' well-being and improve overall school safety. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the level of awareness and knowledge of fire safety among kindergarten teachers in Perak, Malaysia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 112 kindergarten educators from the Hilir Perak district. Respondents were recruited using random sampling and evaluated using a self-administered questionnaire of 37 items. All data was analysed using SPSS version 26.0. Results: Most respondents were women (95.5%) and aged between 40 and 59 years (49.1%). Overall, 90.2% of the respondents had a moderate knowledge of fire safety measures, and 70.5% had good awareness. Preschool teachers were significantly more concerned about fire safety than private kindergarten teachers were (Χ 2 =5.198, p=0.023). There was a significant association between the level of education and awareness of fire safety measures, indicating that higher levels of education were linked to greater awareness (Χ 2 =9.527, p=0.002). Attending a fire safety course also resulted in a higher level of knowledge compared to those who did not attend any course (Χ 2 =6.475, p=0.011). Conclusion: The study showed that the respondents showed a good level of awareness of fire safety while demonstrating a moderate knowledge of fire safety. The management should therefore continue improving the teachers' knowledge and awareness to ensure that they can respond to emergencies and save the lives of building occupants.
... Hu-Au and Okita [10] observed only the lab safety and cleaning behaviors of graduate students and found cleaning behaviors to be less frequent in VR. In a study on VR training for safe fire behavior, it was observed that participants initially would act in risky ways, coming closer to fires or even standing in fire [12]. Apart from these examples, most research has focused on the learning outcomes or students' experiences of presence, immersion, etc. (e.g. ...
Virtual reality’s (VR) unique affordances of enabling risk-free and exploratory behaviors [1] pose an unknown variable in its use as a learning environment for science education. In VR science laboratory simulations, do students follow typical safety and behavior norms or do they engage largely in “non-lesson related” behaviors [2]? In addition, VR is touted for increasing student interest and motivation in subjects but how exactly does this happen in these environments? We observed seventy-six 11–18 yr.-olds (N = 76) conduct a chemistry experiment in a VR lab simulation. Observations focused on lab safety behaviors and behaviors typically not exhibited in real-life situations (novel). Results showed that > 75% of students still follow basic safety rules but only 49% conducted cleaning behaviors in VR. Novel behaviors were observed in 51% of the participants. Behaviors most observed were moving around the room with no obvious intent, throwing objects or breaking glassware, and playing with lab equipment. We argue that the existence of these behaviors can be viewed as students expressing their curiosities, an important step in encouraging STEM pursuits. The freedom to engage in this behavior is a clue to the motivational affordances VR can provide. Positive responses were confirmed through individual debrief interviews with the participants.
... VR technology has been successfully used for educational purposes in the emergency field, such as teaching the correct procedures to implement in risky situations, usually through immersive serious games [9,10]. Various studies have explored the potential of VR for simulating different types of emergencies, including earthquakes [11,12], wildfires [13,14], and military or terrorist attacks [15]. ...
Floods are an increasingly frequent phenomenon with catastrophic consequences for citizens and cities. Virtual reality (VR) has become a valuable training tool, simulating inaccessible or hazardous situations like emergencies and risk environments. This study evaluates a designed virtual training simulating a riverbank flood scenario. Beyond imparting factual knowledge, this environment aims to facilitate experiential learning by enabling users to repeatedly practice correct behaviors safely. We investigate the impact that different tutorials have on the ability of users to comprehend and retain the knowledge conveyed during the VR experience. To achieve this, three training experiences with different levels of contextualization and interaction tutorials were compared in a between-participant design. Data collection involved both self-reported measures (e.g., questionnaire) and objective measures (e.g., behavioral data). The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the virtual environment in acquiring knowledge of flood contents, particularly when the tutorial offers high levels of interaction, thereby reducing cognitive load. Furthermore, we observed that a lower level of contextualization in the tutorial phase enhances user efficiency in acquainting themselves with the virtual environment. This study emphasizes the potential of virtual training in augmenting preparedness, providing a valuable framework for the development of experiential learning tools in flood emergencies.
... VRTs offer controlled, safe environments for learners to rehearse essential skills in both high-risk situations (e.g., Çakıroğlu & Gökoğlu, 2019) and ones that prove too difficult to replicate in vivo (e.g., Leary et al., 2019). Additionally, VRTs can be programmed to automatically collect data on learners' performance and provide feedback. ...
Researchers have conducted studies on integrating autonomous
artificial intelligence (AI) in Virtual Reality Training (VRT);
however, little is known about the effectiveness of these trainings
and the skills typically taught. Out of the 2,017 related
articles found, there were 20 articles that met our inclusionary
criteria. We analyzed the 20 articles along the dimensions of
participant demographics (e.g., age, disability, ethnicity); skills
taught; measurement methods; components of VRTs (e.g., feedback, communication medium, degree of immersion); effectiveness; and social validity. We also checked the 11 VRTs
mentioned in the present review for components of behavior
skills training (BST). Our results showed that VRT is effective in
teaching social, safety, and professional skills (e.g., initiation of
play, emergency bystander intervention, job interview) to 1,144
participants, including children with disabilities and adults with
and without disabilities. Across the reviewed articles, authors
probed for skill generalization and found that the targeted skills
generalized across setting or time in 15 out of 20 (75%) articles.
Our results indicate that VRT is a flexible and viable option for
scaling BSTs, although additional research is needed for cost-benefit analysis. Lastly, we discussed ways for behavior analysts
to leverage VRTs with autonomous AI and recommendations for
future research.
... Besides, VR creates interactive experiences where students can practice their decision-making and problem-solving skills in a controlled and safe environment (Akman & Çakır, 2020;Chang et al., 2020). For example, VR is used as a powerful tool for learning about and understanding the human body and can be especially useful for those in the medical field (Cagiltay et al., 2019), for students studying anatomy and physiology (Kurul et al., 2020), and for children developing fire safety skills (Çakiroğlu & Gökoğlu, 2019). The VR use provides practice for students and healthcare professionals to respond to a crisis. ...
The current study aims to identify and analyse the scientific literature to find the primary focuses and findings of the research studies regarding virtual reality (VR) in education in Türkiye. Also, it searches for the strengths and weaknesses of VR use in education in Türkiye. For this purpose, the present study adopted a systematic review methodology. The research studies, conducted from 2013 to 2022, indexed in the SCOPUS, ERIC, and Web of Science (WoS) were analysed in line with predetermined criteria. The results revealed that VR use in education contributes to students' academic achievement, motivation, permanent learning, class attitude, participation, positive thought, thinking skills, and encouragement. Also, the results indicated that VR is more effective in education when applied as an alternative training method than traditional teaching methods. Additionally, the study identified several strengths and weaknesses of VR use in education in Türkiye. This study found that the important factors affecting the weaknesses of VR are cost, isolation from the real world, online safety, student access, technology gap and security. Based on these findings, the current study could provide information for both future research studies and education contexts concerning VR-based implementations in education.
... Another study featured the use of BST to teach graduate students proper graphing in ABA (Kranak et al., 2019), while yet another study found BST effective for teaching the implementation of picture-based communication, though boosters were needed for generalization and maintenance . The exact content of these many studies will be addressed later in this literature review, but the use of singular BST has spanned numerous topics, including fire safety skills (Çakiroğlu & Gökoğlu, 2019), reading (Davenport et al., 2019), a variety of ABA skills Gormley et al., 2019), and even accurate alcohol pouring . Collectively, these studies speak to the utility of introducing all BST components at once, rather than introducing them sequentially, introducing only some, or introducing them in any altered order. ...
The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between a participant’s preference for instructional delivery and their rate of behavioral skill acquisition, answering the question, “what was the effect of participant preference for component order on skill acquisition with behavior skills training (BST)?” Research has shown Behavior Skills Training (BST) to be effective at teaching a variety of behavior analytic skills, but to date no one has addressed how skill acquisition may change if the component order of BST was changed to match a participant’s preference. Using a single-subject design, the adapted alternating treatment design (AATD), this study taught two graduate practicum students studying Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) how to respond to problem behavior in both the Practical Functional Analysis (PFA) and Skills-Based Treatment (SBT) of the PFA model. Visual analysis indicated that for both participants, component order was not a relevant variable to skill acquisition. Limitations and future directions were also discussed.
... The video is qualitatively observed and analyzed by video analysis and content analysis. They combine the 42 behaviors in fire emergencies proposed by Jones [27] and the five basic behavioral models [28] that are effective for fire emergencies determined in Unal's study. A coding scheme is designed to explore students' learning behaviors, as shown in Table 1 ...
Immersive virtual reality technology (IVR) can create contextualized learning environments that learners cannot easily access. It is widely used in education. More and more researchers are paying attention to IVR’s influencing factors. However, most of these researches focus on the aspects of technology and environment, ignoring the aspects of learners themselves. Therefore, this paper explores the impact of learners’ attention level (AL) and learning style (LS) on learning behavior in IVR. Firstly, the AL data monitored by EEG equipment allows correlation and difference analysis to explore the relationship among AL, LS and learning performance (LP). Then, according to the video-recorded learning behavior data, the lag sequence analysis method is used to analyze the learning behavior sequence transformation of the high-concentration group and low-concentration group so that it can explore the problem learning behaviors of learners with different concentrations. The results show that: in the virtual learning environment (Vir-LE), there is a strong positive correlation between AL and LP. There is no significant difference in LP with different LS, but the AL of visual learners is higher than that of verbal learners. Through this experiment, it is helpful to eliminate the interference factors in the range of human subjective perception and improve the accuracy of the measurement of learning effect.
... Virtual reality technology is used to create a realistic simulated learning in which the learner can practice the target safety skills. Virtual reality technology has been incorporated into safety instruction to teach fire safety (Çakiroğlu & Gökoğlu, 2019;Padgett et al., 2006) and safe street crossing (e.g., Josman et al., 2008;McComas et al., 2002). One consideration when seeking to use virtual reality as a training mode is to ensure that sufficient hardware is available to run the simulations. ...
Worldwide 4.9 million people died in 2016 from injuries that could have been prevented. An evidence-based behavior-analytic approach to safety instruction could teach valuable safety responses that could decrease the number of preventable childhood and adolescent deaths. This chapter seeks to provide an overview of the research on assessing, designing, and implementing safety instruction and provides recommendations for creating comprehensive safety instruction. Among the topics discussed are indirect and direct assessment of safety responses, behavioral skills training, in situ training, and procedural modifications for individuals with developmental disabilities. Illustrative examples from the literature are provided throughout.
... Increasingly, training which is costly or dangerous in reality is being conducted in a virtual environment. For example, VR training in medical-skills training can improve the technical skills of surgeons in orthopedic surgery, while saving costs [1], and VR training for skills training in hazardous scenarios can ensure the safety of trainers while learning basic fire-safety skills [2]. The smart gridtraining system mentioned in this paper evaluates the standardization of trainers' operating actions by conducting simulation experiments on the fine actions of power operation, which improves the precision of power workers' operations and reduces the potential risks of man-made safety accidents. ...
Smart grid-training systems enable trainers to achieve the high safety standards required for power operation. Effective methods for the rational segmentation of continuous fine actions can improve smart grid-training systems, which is of great significance to sustainable power-grid operation and the personal safety of operators. In this paper, a joint algorithm of a spatio-temporal convolutional neural network and multidimensional cloud model (STCNN-MCM) is proposed to complete the segmentation of fine actions during power operation. Firstly, the spatio-temporal convolutional neural network (STCNN) is used to extract action features from the multi-sensor dataset of hand actions during power operation and to predict the next moment’s action to form a multi-outcome dataset; then, a multidimensional cloud model (MCM) is designed based on the motion features of the real power operation; finally, the corresponding probabilities are obtained from the distribution of the predicted data in the cloud model through the multi-outcome dataset for action-rsegmentation point determination. The results show that STCNN-MCM can choose the segmentation points of fine actions in power operation in a relatively efficient way, improve the accuracy of action division, and can be used to improve smart grid-training systems for the segmentation of continuous fine actions in power operation.
... One of the most prominent fields which has taken large advantage of VR is that of emergency training, as indicated by the huge number of literature works which investigated the role of this technology in the creation of effective scenarios for managing emergencies [1,13,28,23,20]). Among the various use cases investigated so far, fire emergency is indeed among the most representative and widely studied ones [12,33,10,26]. ...
Virtual Reality (VR) technology is playing an increasingly important role in the field of training. The emergency domain, in particular, can benefit from various advantages of VR with respect to traditional training approaches. One of the most promising features of VR-based training is the possibility to share the virtual experience with other users. In multi-user training scenarios, the trainees have to be provided with a proper representation of both the other peers and themselves, with the aim of fostering mutual awareness, communication and cooperation. Various techniques for representing avatars in VR have been proposed in the scientific literature and employed in commercial applications. However, the impact of these techniques when deployed to multi-user scenarios for emergency training has not been extensively explored yet. In this work, two techniques for avatar representation in VR, i.e., no avatar (VR Kit only) and Full-Body reconstruction (blending of inverse kinematics and animations), are compared in the context of emergency training. Experiments were carried out in a training scenario simulating a road tunnel fire. The participants were requested to collaborate with a partner (controlled by an experimenter) to cope with the emergency, and aspects concerning perceived embodiment, immersion, and social presence were investigated.
... (2) Training of personnel in high-risk industries such as construction (Sacks et al. 2013;Wang et al. 2018) and mining (Van Wyk and De Villiers 2009; Tichon and Burgess-Limerick 2011); (3) Skill training for pilots (Dalladaku et al. 2020), doctors (Alaraj et al. 2011;Pulijala et al. 2018), and safety knowledge training for children, colleges and universities (Smith and Ericson 2009;Zhang et al. 2017); (4) Fire safety training (Çakiroğlu and Gökoğlu 2019, Chae 2018, Tao et al. 2017). The increasing number of studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of bringing VR technology in safety training. ...
As an enclosed and normally crowded environment, underground rail station is a dangerous place when fire emergency happens. Traditional methods usually adopt simulation or drill to evaluate station design or contingency plans, which differ far from real situations in both parameters and people’s complicated behavior in an emergency, especially the staff’s guiding action. Staff’s behaviors are enormously important for evacuation, because evacuation path is complex and smoking diffusing is in the same direction with the path to some extent. In this regard, a fire evacuation system considering staff’s behavior in virtual reality environment was developed. The distinguished features of the system embodied in three aspects. First, it provided a vivid, interactive and immersed platform for staff to practice and optimize evacuation plan. Second, staff’s behaviors and their implication on passengers’ evacuation were modeled. Passengers were treated as multi-agent that can feel the surrounding environment including staff’s guiding, and they can change their paths in real-time which implemented by a dynamic path choice model. Third, input and visualization of the fire data extracted from fire simulation, and the 3D station model, provide quite real evacuation environment. Recruiting staff from operation company as subjects, the platform was applied for fire evacuation test considering staff’s intervention. The results demonstrate that the proposed model and developed system can be effectively used for contingency plan evaluation and improvement.
... In designing the iThinkSmart prototype, we leveraged VR technology and a gamebased approach as the media to facilitate learning activities. Although the discussion on the effectiveness of using a VR environment to facilitate learning of concrete topics has been on for over two decades (Javidi, 1999), recent studies have shown the potential of using immersive VR in teaching and learning in various settings (Çakiroğlu & Gökoğlu, 2019;Chen et al., 2020aChen et al., , 2020b. ...
Computational thinking (CT) has become an essential skill nowadays. For young students, CT competency is required to prepare them for future jobs. This competency can facilitate students’ understanding of programming knowledge which has been a challenge for many novices pursuing a computer science degree. This study focuses on designing and implementing a virtual reality (VR) game-based application (iThinkSmart) to support CT knowledge. The study followed the design science research methodology to design, implement, and evaluate the first prototype of the VR application. An initial evaluation of the prototype was conducted with 47 computer science students from a Nigerian university who voluntarily participated in an experimental process. To determine what works and what needs to be improved in the iThinkSmart VR game-based application, two groups were randomly formed, consisting of the experimental (n = 21) and the control (n = 26) groups respectively. Our findings suggest that VR increases motivation and therefore increase students’ CT skills, which contribute to knowledge regarding the affordances of VR in education and particularly provide evidence on the use of visualization of CT concepts to facilitate programming education. Furthermore, the study revealed that immersion, interaction, and engagement in a VR educational application can promote students’ CT competency in higher education institutions (HEI). In addition, it was shown that students who played the iThinkSmart VR game-based application gained higher cognitive benefits, increased interest and attitude to learning CT concepts. Although further investigation is required in order to gain more insights into students learning process, this study made significant contributions in positioning CT in the HEI context and provides empirical evidence regarding the use of educational VR mini games to support students learning achievements.
... In fact, works like those above generally show that training activities involving VRTSs, despite being quite task-dependent and different from each other, can be superior (Cakiroğlu and Gökoğlu, 2019) or comparable to the traditional ones, at least when the learners are not familiar with the taught contents and are trained and assessed in the application (which can be quite a common situation); when not improving the learning outcome, they might have a positive impact on the overall learning experience (De Lorenzis et al., 2022). ...
Virtual Reality (VR) has been widely adopted for the creation of training experiences, since it appears to allow overcoming, especially for practical training, some of the limitations of real exercises. Many previous works focused on investigating the effectiveness of VR Training Systems (VRTS) in a variety of fields, but the efficacy of these systems is very task-dependent, and the best way to integrate them into existing learning paths has yet to be thoroughly investigated. The goal of the present paper is to explore the latter aspects considering a case study in the context of energy management in industry, and focusing on a measuring procedure that is part, e.g., of energy audit inspections. To this aim, a VRTS was developed and used to conduct two user studies: a first study designed to investigate the effectiveness of the devised system when used as an alternative or in combination with lecture and laboratory-based teaching experiences, and a second study aimed to compare two different approaches (traditional learning, TL, and learning by teaching, LBT) for exploiting the provided VR-based functionalities in a learning path. Experimental results showed that the use of the VRTS alone improved the participants’ performance compared to traditional experiences, and that LBT proved to be more effective that TL for practical learning purposes.
... However, they mostly focus on either individual exercises or for only one component, such as the fire brigade or an emergency. As an example, we mention the publication by Çakıroğlu, Ü. and Seyfullah, G. [10], where the authors deal with the implementation of virtual reality in the exercise process of the fire rescue service, or by Guo, Y. et al. [11]. The article presents a simulation of evacuation using selected software (Pathfinder). ...
To successfully deal with emergent events or crises, it is necessary to have a fully planned integrated rescue system (IRS). The stages of the IRS are tested by exercises that aim to model rescue and clean-up operations as closely as possible. This article compares different software tools to support the creation and implementation of exercises of different stages of the IRS. The article aims to compare suitable software tools and evaluate their application in the individual phases of creating tactical exercises in the IRS and application to the implementation and evaluation phase. Methods of explanation, comparison, and modeling are used to achieve the goals. It was found that the investigated software programmes are all suitable for use in the organization of exercises. The results are shown in a comparison table and examples of individual model situations. The article presents possible implementation scenarios of software tools for creating and organizing exercises of stages of the IRS, which can make the preparation of both tactical and screening exercises more efficient.
... Additionally, user feedback suggested that the interaction points should be more prominent. Through behavioral modeling, the researchers designed a fire safety training system in a VR environment [15]. However, the limited mobility of the tool reduced its flexibility, and the scenario was designed to be restricted to student groups, shifting learning to pleasure over expertise. ...
The prevalence of inevitable natural and social disasters is increasing at an alarming rate. With the proliferation of media and Internet technologies, there is a growing awareness of the importance of disaster training. The paper aims to combine the techniques of immersive Virtual Reality (VR) and team-based role-playing to demonstrate a comprehensive disaster training schema to help participants practice safety skills and learn proper decision-making skills in the face of disasters. A VR dome and cylinder combined multidisplay system iwDome was used to immerse participants and provide a view of the overall training; the role of each team was presented through the appropriate Head Mounted Display (HMD) and connected desktop. Rather than just being passive spectators or game players, the participants received puzzles in the virtual scenario that required intra-team and inter-team collaboration to be solved. The scenarios applicable to the system were not restricted to a specific type of disaster, but could be customized, revealing significant application prospects. To test the motivation for improvement, a quality assessment and user experience survey were conducted. The results indicate that participants were more engaged through cooperation in the virtual training environment and could achieve greater learning gains. The correlation of age to user studies was also confirmed. The enhanced enthusiasm of participants for what is relatively standard disaster management demonstrates the promise of using team role-playing-based VR training for vital, but otherwise tedious disaster safety training.
... The application of virtual reality (VR) in the firefighting field can be viewed as a natural evolution of computer-based simulation training, which is primarily used for professional education purposes and can provide high-level interactivity and participation. Currently, many firefighting simulation applications focus mainly on the following areas: systematic search or fire suppression in buildings filled with smoke [14,15], communication and leadership in fire scenarios [5,16], and fire safety education [17,18]. ...
Under the current background of navigation education, students generally lack a comprehensive grasp of ship firefighting equipment’s operation. Therefore, we develop a novel ship firefighting training simulator with a multi-sensory human–computer interaction function for teaching and training marine students. In the simulator, we consider a container ship of 1.8w containers as the prototype ship, and the entire ship models are built using three-dimensional modeling technology. We design various interactive modes and realize a full-process operation simulation of several standard ship firefighting equipment. Furthermore, we propose a purely Lagrangian vortex dynamics framework to simulate smoke and flame in fire scenarios. In this framework, we model fluids using velocity and vorticity fields discretized on discrete vortex segments. The main components of the framework include a stable geometric stretching solution and particle strength exchange method for solving the diffusion term. The simulation results show that the simulator has good behavioral realism and scene immersion and can be applied to ship firefighting training. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on real-time smoke simulation using a physics-based method in a firefighting training simulator.
... However, the student receives real-time feedback from teachers, engages and experiences the feeling of reality in the same environment more despite being in different locations physically [51]. The general achievements of using VR in learning environments are listed below in Table 2. Table 2. Use of VR technology in human learning environment VR in human learning environment Reference Supporting peer collaborative learning [52,53] Ability to develop students' problem-solving and discovery skills by providing rich teaching content [54,55] Ability to provide learners with highly interactive experiences [56,57] Increasing learner motivation and engagement [22,49] Enabling learners to gain knowledge with less effort compared to the traditional teaching process [58,59] Making the teaching process more realistic and safe space [60][61][62] VR also has a remarkable feature in terms of providing a safe environment for training with real danger potential. With VR, situations that are risky, physically inaccessible or require high costs can be experienced by visualizing and simulating [63]. ...
Today, learning environments (LEs) are proceeding towards virtual environments (VEs) in which a sense of reality can be presented in three dimensions (3D) and a sense of inclusion can be experienced. A virtual learning environment (VLE) can be presented in a more realistic and visual manner with the use of innovative technologies such as virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), and augmented reality(AR). This paper examines how extended reality (XR) approaches and its applications are transforming virtual learning environments in the context of human education and learning. A systematic literature review from the Scopus, Web of Science, IEEE, ACM and Google Scholar databases was conducted in order to better understand XR's contributions to human education as well as learning. The potential uses of XR technology have been discussed in terms of its structure, past, present, and future directions of XR concerning education. The research conducted in this context has determined that XR is mostly being used in fields of education, learning and simulating an emergency situation. XR technology can be applied to solve problems without causing harm to people or property, particularly in emergency scenarios and safety training. Finally, this study offer several novel approaches for addressing these challenges, as well as potential directions for future researchers seeking to specialize in using these emerging technologies for human education.
... In recent years, SVVR has been widely applied to develop students' higher order thinking and problem-solving ability in various disciplines, including public speaking, oral English, scientific inquiry, writing, skills for firefighters, and ecological inquiry (Wu et al., 2021b;Yang et al., 2010). Creating a more authentic environment with presence makes the dangerous teaching process closer to reality and secure, which is conducive to improving learners' problem-solving abilities such as resilience skills and on-the-spot judgment, which are important in professional training (Çakiroglu & Gökoglu, 2019;Carbonell-Carrera & Saorin, 2017;Chang et al., 2019;Stupar-Rutenfrans et al., 2017). ...
In professional training programs, how to help learners fully understand the contexts and problem-solving procedure in the workplace is a crucial and challenging issue. Due to the advancements of computer and multimedia technology, many professional training programs have applied technology to provide richer learning content. Blended learning is a learning approach combining online and physical courses. In the blended learning mode, learners can not only learn through multimedia teaching materials, but also interact and practice with teachers and students in online and physical classrooms. However, the conventional blended learning (C-BL) mode mainly presents teaching content through online videos and physical courses. In such a learning environment with one-way information transmission and without experience, it is not easy for most learners to experience the actual situations encountered in the professional training process, which affects their judgment and actual handling performance. In order to tackle this problem, this research adopted spherical video-based virtual reality (SVVR) technology and applied it in a general registered nurse (RN) training program via a blended learning mode. To verify the effects of this teaching approach, a quasi-experimental study was conducted in a RN training program in a large-scale hospital. The experimental group employed the SVVR-BL mode while the control group employed the C-BL mode. The results indicated that the SVVR-BL mode could not only improve learners' learning achievement, but also enhance their problem-solving tendency, meta-cognition tendency, and classroom engagement. The practical skills test results in the workplace further implied that, compared to the learners who adopted the C-BL mode, learners who adopted the SVVR-BL mode had better judgment, analysis, and overall performance of the handling process when encountering practical problems. As a result, SVVR-BL not only helped learners gain knowledge and improve their higher order thinking, but also assisted them in applying what they had learned to solve real problems. This result can serve as an important reference for SVVR-BL studies and the design of professional training programs in the future.
Virtual worlds are based on a virtual reality technology, which allows three-dimensional realistic situations within a digital environment. The study framework is based on the Activity Theory and the model of Serious Games. These frameworks emphasize the interrelationships between the virtual worlds’ various components, including user activity, training design, and their formal definition as Serious Games. This study examined the teaching and learning characteristics which take place in three-dimensional virtual world environments (3DVW) and focused on a training pilot for emergency medical personnel of the Israeli First Aid medical teams (IFA). Semi-structured interviews were conducted through videoconferencing with 27 volunteers and employees of the IFA who participated in 3D virtual worlds training simulations. These interviews provided an understanding of their training experience in virtual worlds in general and the various medical simulation experience in particular. The findings showed that learning effectiveness was the main added value in immersive 3D virtual worlds training. The VW simulator has the ability to make learning more efficient and results in improvement and acquisition of professional skills in medical teams with an emphasis on following medical protocols. In addition, the virtual environment can enhance motivation and enjoyment in the context of medical training. Moreover, the virtual environment enables safe practice of complex medical procedures. These findings strengthen the positive trend of 3D virtual worlds technology implementation in medical training.KeywordsVR-Virtual realityVW-Virtual worldSBL-Simulation based learningImmersive first aid training3D Virtual worlds
Most VR fire escape training programs only task learners to observe the procedure of fire escape in different simulated fire scenes. To improve the effectiveness of such training programs for everyone, we tested a "fire escape virtual reality training program" which takes advantage of the feedback on the action to help individuals to learn the necessary and correct steps of fire escape. The virtual program emulates a real fire scene by providing realistic visual and auditory stimuli. A single-group quasi-experimental study was carried out to measure the effectiveness of the program, and a total of 173 seventh-and eighth-grade students from a high school in New Taipei City participated. The results of structural equation modeling showed that 1) gameplay self-efficacy was negatively predicted by frustration, 2) fire presence positively predicted gameplay self-efficacy, and 3) gameplay self-efficacy positively predicted learning progress. The findings suggested that critical life-saving skills such as fire escape skills can be readily acquired and trained through individual virtual reality training programs.
With the rapid development of virtual technology and the promotion of education policy in Taiwan, Virtual Reality (VR) is gradually being applied in the field of elementary education. In previous studies, the main goal of using VR is to enhance learners’ motivation and provide them with an immersive multisensory experience. However, the awareness and perception of Sense of Ownership (SoO) and Sense of Agency (SoA) in VR environments for elementary school students have not been explored. The purpose of this study was to understand elementary school students’ awareness and perceptions of SoO and SoA when learning in a VR environment. Therefore, an immersive VR skills training system was constructed and a total of 54 sixth grade students from two different classes participated in this study. The results of the study show that students significantly perceived the occurrence of SoO and SoA when immersed in VR environments. Which may cause the student to be unable to dissociate from the virtual body image. As VR applications in learning environments becomes increasingly popular, this should be taken into consideration.KeywordsVirtual RealitySense of OwnershipSense of Agency
Gamification provides a prominent technique that can be used to provide Immersive Learning Environments (ILEs) for domains, where it is dangerous or expensive to learn in real environments. Especially industrial organizations (e.g., manufacturing, mining, construction) are a promising domain for implementing ILEs that combine gamification concepts with a pedagogical design to facilitate safety training under secure circumstances. Although there are design research studies that exemplify the utility of gamification of learning activities, or how to improve organizational safety training through gamification, there is a need to address how sustainable safe spaces can be designed for enhanced safety training in ILEs. Safe spaces are key elements of a successful safety training experience in ILEs as they provide safe and secure training environments, which in the physical world are typically considered too dangerous with high risk of injuring the training participants. This study reports findings from an ongoing DSR project that stresses the design of ILEs for sustainable safety training. Within the project, an artifact for immersive fire safety training in virtual reality has been designed, developed, and evaluated together with employees of a train operator company. The research responds to the need of producing design knowledge that moves beyond the highly contextualized designs principles that are particular for IVR applications. We use gamification concepts as a kernel theory for developing a mid-range theory of designing immersive virtual safety training environments.KeywordsImmersive Learning EnvironmentsVirtual RealitySafe SpacesDesign Science,GamificationSustainabilityMid-Range Theory
Background
Video‐based training has been widely adopted by private organizations and public authorities to educate occupants on various types of building emergencies. However, the effectiveness of video‐based training for preparing occupants for building emergencies has not been rigorously studied nor has the impact of emergency type been investigated on training effectiveness.
Objectives
This study examines whether video‐based training is an effective method to prepare occupants for building emergencies and how the effectiveness differs in the context of different building emergencies.
Methods
We simulated fire and active shooter emergencies in a virtual office building and conducted evacuation experiments to examine participants' emergency responses using both objective and subjective metrics. A total of 108 participants were recruited and responded to the fire or active shooter incident with or without video‐based training.
Results and Conclusions
The results revealed that participants with video‐based training more often chose to follow other recommendations when responding to building emergencies instead of simply following others. Results from ANOVA showed that training increased participants' self‐efficacy significantly, especially for those in the active shooter group. Moreover, participants in the active shooter simulation had a higher level of response efficacy than those in the fire emergency simulation. Our results also demonstrated the influence of emergency type on participants' final decisions and considerations of the recommendations.
Implications
Our results suggested that video‐based training is effective in improving participants' emergency preparedness and changing their behaviour patterns to a certain extent such as reducing following behaviour and encouraging safe evacuations. Additionally, statistically significant interactions between video‐based training and emergency types suggested that training effectiveness should be considered in accordance with the emergency type.
In recent years, the area of application of Virtual Reality (VR) has grown tremendously from the entertainment industry to the military, to mental health, to hazard identification training, and to our daily lives. VR has been widely employed in hazard identification and prevention, safety training, evacuation, search and rescue, and damage identification of hazards. This paper investigates the application of VR for raising awareness about quick clay landslide hazard. Quick clay landslides are geological hazards that are often triggered suddenly, are difficult to forecast, and often result in disastrous consequences. Currently, hazard and risk maps are used to communicate quick clay landslide risk to the public. However, these maps are mostly expert specific, and they may not appear convenient to communicate natural hazards such as quick clay landslides to the public. VR technology can be used to further enhance the communication of landslide risk to the public by developing simulations that can raise awareness about, among others, landslide initiation signs, preventive measures, safety training, and actions that can increase safety of individuals in a hazard event. To narrow this communication gap, we developed a tool, QuickAware , that can help in improving awareness of quick clay risk using a VR application. The development process of the tool started with a co design approach where stakeholder experts were brought to collaborate in setting up VR scenarios and defining the VR environment contents. The contents were then conceptualized and translated into VR experience. The usability of the VR application was examined by conducting a survey with 16 participants. The results of the survey indicated that the tool has a promising value in improving awareness creation for quick clay landslide hazard.
The aim of the study is to address a gap in the literature by developing an educational virtual reality (edVR) attitude measurement instrument, which determines college students’ attitudes towards using VR technology for educational purposes. A sequential exploratory mixed method was employed to develop the measurement instrument. Initially, a qualitative approach was used to establish the face and content validity of the instrument and subsequently a quantitative approach was used to test the construct validity and reliability of attitude statement items. Critical reviews and constructive feedback were gathered from a range of parties, including target users (i.e., college students), learning technology experts, assessment and evaluation authority, and linguists of English and Turkish. The psychometric properties of edVR attitude measurement instrument were tested with a total sample of 305 sophomore, junior and senior students studying at different faculties. The exploratory factor analysis (EFA) results confirmed the single-factor structure with nine items, explaining 63.46% of the total variance and the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) results indicated a sufficient fit of this single-factor model. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the edVR attitude measurement instrument was 0.92 and the test–retest reliability of the instrument was 0.94. The t-values were significant for all items for 27% of the participants to compare the top and bottom. As a result, the edVR attitude measurement instrument was valid and reliable in measuring students’ attitudes towards educational VR.
The amount of research on virtual reality learning tools increases with time. Despite the diverse environments and theoretical foundations, enough data have been accumulated in recent years to provide a systematic review of the methods used. We pose ten questions concerning the methodological aspects of these studies. We performed a search in three databases according to the PRISMA guidelines and evaluated several characteristics, with particular emphasis on researchers' methodological decisions. We found an increase over time in the number of studies on the effectiveness of VR-based learning. We also identified shortcomings related to how the duration and number of training sessions are reported. We believe that these two factors could affect the effectiveness of VR-based training. Furthermore, when using the Kirkpatrick model, a significant imbalance can be observed in favor of outcomes from the ‘Reaction’ and ‘Learning’ levels compared to the ‘Behavior’ and ‘Results’ levels. The last of these was not used in any of the 330 reviewed studies. These results highlight the importance of research on the effectiveness of VR training. Taking into account the identified methodological shortcomings will allow for more significant research on this topic in the future.
To investigate how learning in immersive Virtual Reality was designed in contemporary educational studies, this systematic literature review identified nine design features and analysed 219 empirical studies on the designs of learning activities with immersive Virtual Reality. Overall, the technological features for physical presence were more readily implemented and investigated than pedagogical features for learning engagement. Further analysis with k-means clustering revealed five approaches with varying levels of interactivity and openness in learning tasks, from watching virtual worlds passively to responding to personalised prompts. Such differences in the design appeared to stem from different practical and educational priorities, such as accessibility, interactivity, and engagement. This review highlights the diversity in the learning task designs in immersive Virtual Reality and illustrates how researchers are navigating practical and educational concerns. We recommend future empirical studies recognise the different approaches and priorities when designing and evaluating learning with immersive Virtual Reality. We also recommend that future systematic reviews investigate immersive Virtual Reality-based learning not only by learning topics or learner demographics, but also by task designs and learning experiences.
Until the end of the twentieth century, printed text, classroom lectures, and the projected screen remained the mainstays of pedagogical practices. With advances in innovation and technology, learning environments have undergone a rapid transformation in the last two decades. Virtual and augmented reality technologies have had a significant impact in providing learners with an engaging and immersive learning experience. This paper performs a systematic literature review of articles that discuss using such technologies in transforming E-learning. Prominent studies from databases like Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, SpringerLink, and ResearchGate were considered during the analysis. The peak periods of research and notable authors were identified through bibliometric and co-citation analysis using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Harzing. MAXQDA and the Vicinitas word clouds were analyzed to illustrate common themes of interest and recognize emerging trends. The study showed the applicability of virtual and augmented reality-based e-learning to fields other than school or university education. In addition to identifying research gaps, suggestions regarding future work are also offered.KeywordsVirtual realityAugmented realityE-learningBibliometricsLiterature review
Virtual reality (VR) has been used to create immersive and realistic learning environments. Safety education increases students’ awareness of potential hazards. Effective safety education should include a variety of scenarios in which students can practice recognising and responding appropriately to hazardous situations. VR has been shown to benefit students’ safety education by increasing their awareness of hazards. This meta-analysis was performed to examine the overall effect of VR use on students’ safety education, including safety knowledge, safety behaviour, motivation and presence, compared with control interventions. Locomotion, the input device and the display hardware were examined as moderating variables. Fifteen publications with 39 effect sizes (n = 2,411 participants) were included. No publication bias was detected. VR had a significantly positive effect on the overall effect size for safety education compared with control interventions (e.g., educational documents, lectures, animations). Effect sizes were large for motivation, medium for presence and safety knowledge, and small for safety behaviour. Only locomotion (large effect size) had a moderating effect, improving safety education. These findings support the effectiveness of VR use in safety education. Additional research is needed to examine more independent and moderating variables for this educational approach.KeywordsMeta-analysisSafety educationVirtual reality
The great developpement of the virtual reality these last years gives us hope of an integration in numerous domains like scientific research. In the field of cognitive psychology, the use of this new methodology allows to greatly increase the attention of the participants during experiments. A surprising concerned domain by virtual reality remains Language’s sciences. Indeed, text presentation in virtual environments pasted on the real world allows to better understand cognitive processes that subtend Reading in ecologically valid places while controling various variables. This new technology of investigation has been recently used in studies with children (lexical decision) and in order to record eye movements during reading tasks.
As teaching materials continue to develop and improve, learners have gradually shifted from abstract learning methods such as learning formulas and understanding images to hands-on learning. Learners apply the acquired knowledge and skills to practical STEM hands-on experiential courses to verify the formulas and knowledge they have acquired. Hands-on learning effectively helps learners transform abstract knowledge into conceptual skills and practical abilities and apply these in practical fields. In a traditional STEM hands-on learning experiment environment, learners verify knowledge through experiments. However, in the experimental fields set up at many schools and laboratories, there is often a lack of experimental equipment. Also, in experiments such as fire drills and medical experiments, learners may not be permitted to perform actual operations and practices in laboratories due to safety factors. Learners lack a safe and secure learning environment where they can study anytime, anywhere. Therefore, we design and develop a virtual reality system which we apply to embedded electronic circuit learning activities, creating for learners a virtual environment for immersive learning. The effectiveness of the system is verified through a pilot study using the technology acceptance model (TAM) to measure learner acceptance. The results of this study and the analysis of the TAM data show that the system was well-accepted by participants.KeywordsVirtual realitySTEMTechnology acceptance modelPilot study
Purpose
Virtual reality (VR) is a novel technology that could be used in the assessment and/or treatment of deliberate firesetting. This study aims to develop an understanding of clinicians’ views of VR for deliberate firesetting, to identify areas where VR could potentially add value to current practice and any particular barriers to using VR in this context.
Design/methodology/approach
Through an online survey, 73 clinicians rated their agreement with nine potential benefits of using VR for firesetting and 11 potential barriers to using it. They also provided free text responses detailing the greatest perceived potential benefit and the greatest perceived barrier. Factors related to intent to use VR for firesetting in the future were explored.
Findings
Clinicians perceived the ability to safely expose clients to fire-related stimuli to be highly beneficial. However, clinicians were concerned about the possibility of re-traumatisation and logistic barriers. Previous experience of using VR with individuals who have set fires was significantly related to using it in the future.
Practical implications
Further research establishing the feasibility and effectiveness of using VR with individuals who have set fires may help alleviate clinicians’ concerns. Increasing opportunities for clinicians to experience a firesetting VR programme may widen the implementation of firesetting VR.
Originality/value
Previous research has only focused on clinicians’ perceptions of VR in the general field of forensic mental health and has failed to consider offence-specific applications.
Since the first time the term "Virtual Reality" (VR) has been used back in the 60s, VR has evolved in different manners becoming more and more similar to the real world. Two different kinds of VR can be identified: non-immersive and immersive. The former is a computer-based environment that can simulate places in the real or imagined worlds; the latter takes the idea even further by giving the perception of being physically present in the non-physical world. While non-immersive VR can be based on a standard computer, immersive VR is still evolving as the needed devices are becoming more user friendly and economically accessible. In the past, there was a major difficulty about using equipment such as a helmet with goggles, while now new devices are being developed to make usability better for the user. VR, which is based on three basic principles: Immersion, Interaction, and User involvement with the environment and narrative, offers a very high potential in education by making learning more motivating and engaging. Up to now, the use of immersive-VR in educational games has been limited due to high prices of the devices and their limited usability. Now new tools like the commercial "Oculus Rift", make it possible to access immersive-VR in lots of educational situations. This paper reports a survey on the scientific literature on the advantages and potentials in the use of Immersive Virtual Reality in Education in the last two years (2013-14). It shows how VR in general, and immersive VR in particular, has been used mostly for adult training in special situations or for university students. It then focuses on the possible advantages and drawbacks of its use in education with reference to different classes of users like children and some kinds of cognitive disabilities (with particular reference to the Down syndrome). It concludes outlining strategies that could be carried out to verify these ideas.
The use of behavioral skills training (BST) to educate 3 adolescent boys on the risks of lighters and fire setting was evaluated using in situ assessment in a school setting. Two participants had a history of fire setting. After training, all participants adhered to established rules: (a) avoid a deactivated lighter, (b) leave the training area, and (c) report the lighter to an adult. The response sequence was maintained for both participants after training. The use of in situ assessment to evoke and observe infrequent behavior is discussed.
This study focuses on the design and development of a courseware as a supplementary learning material for Hajj. Based on the results of previous researches and current initial findings, Hajj supplementary learning materials approaches are less effective in giving clear understanding to users, particularly the pilgrims. Most of the materials are based on passive learning. In providing a better learning aid for supporting active learning and self-directed learning, this study incorporates virtual environments (VE) and multimedia technologies to develop Virtual Hajj (V-Hajj) courseware. In addition, to produce a material that can persuade users, particularly the elders to use computer technology as their supplementary learning material, this study adapted the persuasive design guidelines from persuasive technology. Besides, multimedia and VE design and development processes have been applied to guide the V-Hajj implementation. Persuasive technology principles, constructivist theory, multimedia learning theory and principles were also applied.
Students’ interest, motivation, attention and concentration, in one word their genuine engagement in learning activities, is largely considered as a potential gauge of future academic success. This paper, drawing on a research project dealing with the use of digital mind games for educational purposes in primary schools, puts forward some ideas for answering to a key research question: “Which factors may have a positive influence on young students’ involvement in computer based learning activities?” The project results suggest that student engagement is strongly related to the actual possession of the skills needed to perform the task.
The authors examined the dimensionality of the VARK learning styles inventory. The VARK measures four perceptual preferences: visual (V), aural (A), read/write (R), and kinesthetic (K). VARK questions can be viewed as testlets because respondents can select multiple items within a question. The correlations between items within testlets are a type of method effect. Four multitrait—multimethod confirmatory factor analysis models were compared to evaluate the dimensionality of the VARK. The correlated trait—correlated method model had the best fit to the VARK scores. The estimated reliability coefficients were adequate. The study found preliminary support for the validity of the VARK scores. Potential problems related to item wording and the scale’s scoring algorithm were identified, and cautions with respect to using the VARK with research were raised.
Social deficits are a hallmark feature of Asperger's disorder. However, social skill training is often complicated because clinician trainers usually do not have the opportunity to observe social behavior in naturally occurring contexts. One way to overcome this limitation is to teach family members to become effective change agents for social behavior. A mother and a sibling of a child with Asperger's disorder were trained to use behavioral skills training (BST) procedures to teach him social skills at home. The authors collected direct observation data of (a) family member performance while learning BST, (b) family member performance while teaching the client a target social skill, and (c) client performance during BST intervention of the target skill. These data indicated that family members acquired proficient performance of BST and taught the client with a high degree of treatment integrity. An AB design was used to demonstrate that the child's frequency of the target social skill increased following BST intervention.
In the past decade there has been a rapid advance in the use of virtual reality (VR) technologies for leisure, training and education. VR is argued to offer particular benefits for children on the autism spectrum, chiefly because it can offer simulations of authentic real-world situations in a carefully controlled and safe environment. Given the real world social difficulties experienced by children on the spectrum, this technology has therefore been argued to offer distinct advantages and benefits for social and life skills training compared to other approaches. Whilst there has been some progress in testing the relevance and applicability of VR for children on the autism spectrum in educational contexts, there remains a significant challenge in developing robust and usable technologies that can really make a difference in real world classrooms. This article considers the evidence that has been published over the past 10 years to assess how the potential of VR has been explored in practice and reflect on the current state-of-the-art in this field.
This study examined how using Likert-type scales with either 5-point, 7-point or 10-point format affects the resultant data in terms of mean scores, and measures of dispersion and shape. Three groups of respondents were administered a series of eight questions (group n's = 300, 250, 185). Respondents were randomly selected members of the general public. A different scale format was administered to each group. The 5-and 7-point scales were rescaled to a comparable mean score out of ten. The study found that the 5-and 7-point scales produced the same mean score as each other, once they were rescaled. However, the 10-point format tended to produce slightly lower relative means than either the 5-or 7-point scales (after the latter were rescaled). The overall mean score of the eight questions was 0.3 scale points lower for the 10-point format compared to the rescaled 5-and 7-point formats. This difference was statistically significant at p = 0.04. In terms of the other data characteristics, there was very little difference among the scale formats in terms of variation about the mean, skewness or kurtosis. This study is 'good news' for research departments or agencies who ponder whether changing scale format will destroy the comparability of historical data. 5-and 7-point scales can easily be rescaled with the resultant data being quite comparable. In the case of comparing 5-or 7-point data to 10-point data, a straightforward rescaling and arithmetic adjustment easily facilitates the comparison. The study suggests that indicators of customer sentiment – such as satisfaction surveys – may be partially dependent on the choice of scale format. A 5-or 7-point scale is likely to produce slightly higher mean scores relative to the highest possible attainable score, compared to that produced from a 10-point scale.
In recent years, the application of virtual reality (VR) technology in education is rapidly gaining momentum. The educational benefits offered by such technology have prompted many educators as well as instructional designers to investigate ways to create effective and engaging VR learning. Instructional designers have examined widely the capability of VR in influencing the cognitive capacity as well as motivational processes of learners. Nonetheless, one often-neglected aspect is its ability to stimulate emotions, which in turn can affect learning. With the current intense interest in designing emotionally sound instructional applications, this paper proposes a new outlook by incorporating Kansei Engineering methodology in the instructional design process. Specifically, as part of an on-going project, it describes how Kansei Engineering method can be incorporated in the design of VR based learning environments based on the model suggested by Chen, Toh and Wan (2004). The proposed method is not only able to facilitate the instructional designers in identifying desired design elements but also to refine the methods prescribed in an instructional model.
Three children with autism were taught abduction-prevention skills using behavioral skills training with in situ feedback. All children acquired the skills, which were maintained at a 1-month follow-up assessment. In addition, 1 of the children demonstrated the skills during a stimulus generalization probe in a community setting.
Child abduction is a serious problem; therefore, it is essential that researchers evaluate the efficacy of commercially available abduction-prevention programs. A multiple baseline design across participants (ages 6 to 8 years) was used to evaluate the effects of a training program, The Safe Side. Experimenters assessed safety responses in situ in two different situations (knock on the door and interaction by a stranger in public). Results revealed that participants did not demonstrate the safety skills following Safe Side training. All participants subsequently received in situ training (IST) implemented by the parent. Additional assessments and IST were conducted until each participant performed the skills to criterion. All participants demonstrated criterion performance following IST and maintained the skills over time.
The effectiveness of a behavioral skills training (BST) package to teach the implementation of the first three phases of the picture exchange communication system (PECS) was evaluated with 3 adults who had no history teaching any functional communication system. A multiple baseline design across participants was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the training package, which consisted of a video, written and verbal instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback. Results showed significant improvements relative to baseline in a short amount of training time and that skills generalized to a learner with a severe developmental disability. Skills were maintained at 1 month follow-up for 1 participant.
To assess the effect of virtual reality training on an actual laparoscopic operation.
Prospective randomised controlled and blinded trial.
Seven gynaecological departments in the Zeeland region of Denmark.
24 first and second year registrars specialising in gynaecology and obstetrics.
Proficiency based virtual reality simulator training in laparoscopic salpingectomy and standard clinical education (controls).
The main outcome measure was technical performance assessed by two independent observers blinded to trainee and training status using a previously validated general and task specific rating scale. The secondary outcome measure was operation time in minutes.
The simulator trained group (n=11) reached a median total score of 33 points (interquartile range 32-36 points), equivalent to the experience gained after 20-50 laparoscopic procedures, whereas the control group (n=10) reached a median total score of 23 (22-27) points, equivalent to the experience gained from fewer than five procedures (P<0.001). The median total operation time in the simulator trained group was 12 minutes (interquartile range 10-14 minutes) and in the control group was 24 (20-29) minutes (P<0.001). The observers' inter-rater agreement was 0.79.
Skills in laparoscopic surgery can be increased in a clinically relevant manner using proficiency based virtual reality simulator training. The performance level of novices was increased to that of intermediately experienced laparoscopists and operation time was halved. Simulator training should be considered before trainees carry out laparoscopic procedures.
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00311792.
A multifaceted behavioral program designed to teach emergency fire escape procedures to children was evaluated in a multiple-baseline design. Five children were trained to respond correctly to nine home emergency fire situations under simulated conditions. The situations and responses focused upon in training were identified by a social validation procedure involving consultation with several safety agencies, including the direct input of firefighters. Training, carried out in simulated bedrooms at school, resulted in significant improvements in both overt behavior and self-report of fire safety skills. The gains were maintained at a post-check assessment 2 weeks after training had been terminated. The results are discussed in relation both to the importance of social validation of targets and outcomes and the implications for further research in assessing and developing emergency response skills.
Research has shown that children often engage in gun play when they find a firearm and that this behavior is often involved in unintentional firearm injuries. Previous research has shown existing programs to be ineffective for teaching children safety skills to reduce gun play. This study examined the effectiveness of a behavioral skills training (BST) program supplemented with in situ training for teaching children safety skills to use when they find a gun (i.e., don't touch, leave the area, tell an adult). Eight 4- to 5-year-old children were trained and assessed in a naturalistic setting and in a generalized setting in a multiple baseline across subjects design. Results showed that 3 of the children performed the skills after receiving BST, whereas 5 of the children required supplemental in situ training. All children in the study learned to perform the skills when assessed in a naturalistic setting and when assessed in a generalization setting. Performance was maintained at 2- to 8-week follow-up assessments.
Each year, hundreds of children unintentionally kill or injure other children while playing with firearms in the United States. Although the numbers of these deaths and injuries are distressing, few prevention programs have been developed to prevent gun play among children.
This study compared the efficacy of 2 programs designed to prevent gun play among young children.
A posttest-only, control group design with 2 treatment groups was used. Children were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatment groups or a control group. For all children who did not exhibit the skills after training, 1 in situ (ie, real-life situation) training session was conducted.
Participant recruitment, training sessions, and assessments were all conducted in the children's after-school program facility.
Forty-five children, 6 or 7 years of age, were recruited for participation.
The efficacy of the Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program, developed by the National Rifle Association, and a behavioral skills training program that emphasized the use of instruction, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback was evaluated.
The criterion firearm safety behaviors included both motor and verbal responses, which were assessed in a naturalistic setting and then assigned a numerical value based on a scale of 0 to 3.
Both programs were effective for teaching children to verbalize the safety skills message (don't touch the gun, get away, and tell an adult). However, children who received behavioral skills training were significantly more likely to demonstrate the desired safety skills in role-playing assessments and in situ assessments than were children who received Eddie Eagle program training. In addition, in situ training was found to be effective for teaching the desired safety skills for both groups of children.
Injury prevention programs using education-based learning materials are less effective for teaching children the desired safety skills, compared with programs incorporating active learning approaches (eg, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback). The efficacy of both types of injury prevention programs for teaching the desired skills could be significantly enhanced with the use of in situ training. This program, when implemented with 6- and 7-year-old children, was effective in teaching the desired safety skills.
This paper presents Sidh-a game based firefighter training simulator developed in cooperation between the University ofSkvde and the Swedish Rescue Services Agency. Sidh is based on computer game hardware and software solutions but adds a novel interaction model and gameplay specifically developed for the purpose of training firefighters. The simulator environment is a cave where the player is interacting with the game through a set of sensors. Players move in the virtual world by movements in the physical world and a substantial physical effort is required to accomplish game tasks. Sidh has been used in a feasibility study where 31 firefighter students have been playing the game and the performance of these students as well as their reflections from using the game have been analyzed. Results from this study show that Sidh is a useful complement to traditional training methods and that the subjects give very high grades on the entertainment value of the game which indicate that this form of training may be self-motivating which is an important issue for voluntary, after-hours training.
Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, one of the diagnostic criteria of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), greatly hinders children with ASD from responding appropriately and adapting themselves in various social situations. Although evidences have shown that virtual reality environment is a promising tool for emotional and social adaptation skills training on ASD population, there is a lack of large-scale trials with intensive evaluations to support such findings. This paper presents a virtual reality enabled program for enhancing emotional and social adaptation skills for children with ASD. Six unique learning scenarios, of which one focuses on emotion control and relaxation strategies, four that simulate various social situations, and one that facilitates consolidation and generalization, are designed and developed with corresponding psychoeducation procedures and protocols. The learning scenarios are presented to the children via a 4-side immersive virtual reality environment (a.k.a., half-CAVE) with non-intrusive motion tracking. A total number of 94 children between the ages of 6–12 with clinical diagnosis of ASD participated in the 28-session program that lasted for 14 weeks. By comparing pre- and post-assessments, results reported in this paper show significant improvements in the project's primary measures on children's emotion expression and regulation and social-emotional reciprocity but not on other secondary measures.
This paper discusses the roles of simulation in creativity education and how to apply immersive virtual environments to enhance students’ learning experiences in university, through the provision of interactive simulations. An empirical study of a simulated virtual reality was carried out in order to investigate the effectiveness of providing virtual simulation to enrich students’ learning experiences. The researchers found that virtual reality can possibly enhance students’ learning experiences by providing them with a heuristic and highly interactive simulated virtual environment. Being explorative and fun are essential parts of students’ learning experiences in virtual reality. This paper suggests that educators create stimulated virtual learning environments, for example game-like environments, to help students develop positive learning behaviors in the learning process.
We evaluated the effectiveness of group safety training and in situ feedback and response interruption to teach preschool children to avoid consuming potentially hazardous substances. Three children ingested ambiguous substances during a baited baseline assessment condition and continued to ingest these substances following group safety training. In situ feedback and response interruption resulted in a decrease in opening ambiguous containers; this decrease was maintained when ambiguous novel containers were presented and when assessments occurred in a novel setting and with a novel experimenter. For 2 children, these gains were also maintained during a brief follow-up period. Twelve children did not ingest ambiguous substances prior to training, and group safety training did not evoke inappropriate ingestion.
Previous research has demonstrated the efficacy of behavioral skills training (BST) and in situ training (IST) for teaching children to protect themselves. However, BST may be resource intensive and difficult to implement on a large scale. We evaluated a computerized version of BST (CBST) to teach safety skills and determined the extent to which safety skills generalized across different dangers. In Study 1, 11 children learned, via CBST and IST, to respond safely when asked to leave with a stranger. In Studies 2 and 3, IST was implemented with 16 children for 1 or 2 dangers after exposure to CBST for 3 dangers. Participants correctly self-protected from dangers after CBST and IST, and performance generalized to similar dangers for which participants did not receive IST. CBST may be an acceptable substitute for BST when combined with IST to improve efficiency and maintain efficacy in a comprehensive safety skills program.
Our essential premise in this article is that immersive learning is not new and that, as a practical matter, it is useful to view the relatively new virtual world platforms through that lens. By doing so, the premise continues, developers of learning experiences for these spaces will have a large theoretical base upon which to draw, as well as many examples from practice that can be modeled or adapted. A range of examples from K–12 and higher education are given, and the progression of both teacher and student is viewed in terms of learning styles and behavioral needs. Five essential steps for those wishing to develop their own projects are provided, as well as a list of useful resources.
A posttest only control group design was used to investigate the effects of two programs to teach firearm injury prevention skills to second and third grade children. Children were taught the safety skills "Stop. Don't touch. Leave the area. Tell an adult." should they ever find a firearm. The effectiveness of the National Rifle Association's Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program (Level Two) was compared to a Behavioral Skills Training (BST) procedure in reducing gunplay behaviors. Participants were trained according to either the Eddie Eagle program or the BST procedure in one session lasting forty-five minutes to an hour. Self-report, role-play, and in-situ assessments were used to determine the effects of each treatment. Those children not demonstrating the target skills at assessment received an additional in-situ training session and a second assessment. Findings showed that (a) both programs were successful in teaching children to verbally state the target behaviors as compared to the control group; (b) the Behavioral Skills Training program and the Eddie Eagle program were equally effective in teaching children to role-play the skills, and the Behavioral Skills Training group was superior to the control group; (c) there were no differences among any of the conditions in regards to measures of in-situ assessment; and (d) children in each group varied on the amount of in-situ training sessions needed before displaying the target behavior.
This study compared the effectiveness of behavioral skills training (BST) to BST plus simulated in situ training (SIT) for teaching safety skills to children to prevent gun play. The results were evaluated in a posttest only control group design. Following the first assessment, participants in both training groups and the control group who did not use the safety skills received in situ training. Following acquisition of the skills, dyad assessments were conducted in which a peer challenged the participant to play with the gun. The results showed that the training groups did not differ from the control group following training, but that the safety skill scores for the training groups and the control group increased significantly following in situ training. Furthermore, a high percentage of participants across groups used the skills during the dyad assessment.
Gun play results in hundreds of childhood injuries and deaths each year in the United States. Behavioral Skills Training (BST) is used to teach children the skills needed to resist gun play when finding a firearm. Although effective, existing BST programs are time and resource intensive and therefore lack the efficiency required to be widely utilized. Consequently, modifications of program design are needed to increase the likelihood that many children will receive training. Training children in groups and using peers as tutors may decrease the time and resources needed to teach these safety skills to youngsters, thus increasing the efficiency and adoptability of BST programs.
Recent advancements in the development of hardware/software configurations for delivering virtual reality (VR) environments to individuals with disabilities have included approaches for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This article describes a study comparing benefits of using VR to benefits of an integrated/visual treatment model when teaching safety skills to children with ASD in a public school setting. Participants were 8 children diagnosed with ASD who were randomly assigned to receive either VR or an integrated/visual treatment model to learn fire and tornado safety skills. Both groups improved in their learning and transfer of safety skills. The VR group, however, learned these skills in considerably less time. Implications and suggestions for the use of VR in educational settings are presented.
The use of animation and multimedia for learning is now further extended by the provision of entire Virtual Reality Learning Environments (VRLE). This highlights a shift in Web-based learning from a conventional multimedia to a more immersive, interactive, intuitive and exciting VR learning environment. VRLEs simulate the real world through the application of 3D models that initiates interaction, immersion and trigger the imagination of the learner. The question of good pedagogy and use of technology innovations comes into focus once again. Educators attempt to find theoretical guidelines or instructional principles that could assist them in developing and applying a novel VR learning environment intelligently. This paper introduces the educational use of Web-based 3D technologies and highlights in particular VR features. It then identifies constructivist learning as the pedagogical engine driving the construction of VRLE and discusses five constructivist learning approaches. Furthermore, the authors provide two case studies to investigate VRLEs for learning purposes. The authors conclude with formulating some guidelines for the effective use of VRLEs, including discussion of the limitations and implications for the future study of VRLEs.
Conducting fire evacuation drills in modern buildings under realistic fire conditions can be difficult. Typical fire drills do not feature dynamic events such as smoke filled corridors, fires in unexpected places or blocked fire exits that require on the spot decisions from evacuees. One alternative is the use of virtual environments. Virtual environments can support the training and observation of fire evacuee behaviours in 3D virtual buildings. However complex virtual environments can be difficult to build. This paper explores how the reuse of computer game technology can aid in the rapid prototyping of virtual environments which can be populated with fire drill evacuation scenarios. Over a three week period, a single developer constructed a realistic model of a real world building to support virtual fire drill evaluations. While participants in a user study found the simulated environment realistic, performance metrics indicated clustering in the results based on participants’ previous gaming experience.
Web3D open standards allow the delivery of interactive 3D virtual learning environments through the Internet, reaching potentially large numbers of learners worldwide, at any time. This paper introduces the educational use of virtual reality based on Web3D technologies. After briefly presenting the main Web3D technologies, we summarize the pedagogical basis that motivate their exploitation in the context of education and highlight their interesting features. We outline the main positive and negative results obtained so far, and point out some of the current research directions.
Surgical training systems based on virtual reality (VR) and simulation techniques for tissue deformation may represent a more cost-effective and efficient alternative to traditional training methods. Additionally, VR is a technology that can teach surgeons new procedures and can determine their level of competence before they operate on patients. At Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (FZK), a virtual reality training system for minimally invasive surgery (MIS), based on the simulation software KISMET, has been developed. An overview of the current state of development for the “Karlsruhe Endoscopic Surgery Trainer” is presented. For quick and easy creation of surgical scenes containing deformable anatomical organ models, the spline-based modeller KisMo has been developed, which generates beside the geometry also a spatial mass–spring network of the objects for the elastodynamic simulation in KISMET. The MIS trainer provides several surgical interaction modules for deformable objects like grasping, application of clips, cutting, coagulation, injection and suturing. Additionally, it is possible to perform irrigation and suction in the operation area. Active deformable objects are used for the morphodynamic simulation of the stomach and the intestines. Furthermore, a hierarchical pulse simulation in virtual arterial vessel trees has been realized, which enables the palpation of the pulse with a force-feedback device. The pulse simulation is coupled with an arterial bleeding simulation, which gets activated by injuries of arteries and stopped by application of clips. The simulation system has been applied to minimally invasive surgery training in gynaecology and laparoscopy. Special attention is addressed to elastodynamically deformable tissue models and geometric modelling techniques for graphical real-time performance.