VR-based conversation training for students with ASD

The goal of this project was to develop a virtual reality (VR) application which allows secondary and tertiary vocational education students with ASD to practice their social communication skills ...

The goal of this project was to develop a virtual reality (VR) application which allows secondary and tertiary vocational education students with ASD to practice their social communication skills within the context of group work. Earlier research has shown that participating in group conversations can be challenging for students with ASD. By participating in simulated group conversations within the VR application, students with ASD can develop important skills they need to communicate effectively and appropriately during study-related group conversations with fellow students. Because group projects are becoming increasingly prominent in vocational education, we expect that the opportunity to practice study-related group conversations in a virtual training environment will enhance the likelihood of study success for this potentially vulnerable target group. As such, the VR application developed within this project is likely to contribute to a more inclusive study environment within secondary and tertiary vocational education.

The VR-based simulation training was developed in three stages. First, a practice scenario was created that addresses two specific challenges that students with ASD face during group conversations: turn-taking and dealing with emotions expressed by conversation partners. During this stage, we decided on the learning objectives for the simulation training as well as the structure, participants and simulation mechanics of the simulated group conversation. Second, a VR environment was built which allows students to practice group conversations on the basis of this scenario. During this stage, we created a virtual environment including visual representations of the physical setting as well as the virtual characters involved in the simulated group conversation. Furthermore, the simulation mechanics were implemented according to the specifications in the scenario description. Third, an implementation guide was developed based on scientific literature on implementing VR simulations, supplemented with the practical knowledge of the technical instructors and blended coaches of VISTA college. The implementation guide supports the effective deployment of the VR-based simulation training in educational practice.

The project yielded the following outputs: (1) A VR-based simulation training for group conversation skills aimed at students with level 1 Autism Spectrum Disorder in secondary and tertiary vocational education. The VR application, which has been named “conVRsatie”, is compatible with different types of VR devices (e.g., Metaquest, Oculus) and standalone installable on any operating system using an APK. (2) Technical user documentation that will help users install and use the application on their VR devices. (3) An implementation guide that outlines the learning objectives, pedagogical and didactical underpinnings, ethical considerations, and multiple strategies for implementing the simulation training in educational practice. The language used in all of these outputs is Dutch. Additional results achieved during the project include media coverage in a regional newspaper and a presentation during an international scientific conference focused on societally-relevant applications of VR technology.