Immersive Virtual Reality Education Application – Four Development Iterations along Design Science Research Methodology

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Comparing virtual vs real faces expressing emotions in children with autism: An eye-tracking study

AbstractDifficulties in processing emotional facial expressions is considered a central characteristic of children with autism spectrum condition (ASC). In addition, there is a growing interest in the use of virtual avatars capable of expressing emotions as an intervention aimed at improving the social skills of these individuals. One potential use of avatars is that they could enhance facial recognition and guide attention. However, this aspect needs further investigation. The aim of our study is to assess differences in eye gaze processes in children with ASC when they see avatar faces expressing emotions compared to real faces. Eye-tracking methodology was used to compare the performance of children with ASC between avatar and real faces. A repeated-measures general linear model was adopted to understand which characteristics of the stimuli could influence the stimuli's fixation times. Survival analysis was performed to understand differences in exploration behaviour between avatar and real faces. Differences between emotion recognition accuracy and the number of fixations were evaluated through a paired t-test. Our results confirm that children with autism have higher capacities to process and recognize emotions when these are presented by avatar faces. Children with autism are more attracted to the mouth or the eyes depending on the stimulus type (avatar or real) and the emotion expressed by the stimulus. Also, they are more attracted to avatar faces expressing negative emotions (anger and sadness), and to real faces expressing surprise. Differences were not found regarding happiness. Finally, they show a higher degree of exploration of avatar faces. All these elements, such as interest in the avatar and reduced attention to the eyes, can offer important elements in planning an efficient intervention

Sosioemotionaalinen oppiminen ja sosioemotionaalisten taitojen opetus : opettajien näkemyksiä ja kokemuksia

Erilaisten laaja-alaisten taitojen oppiminen on tullut osaksi koulujen arkea. Yksi tällaisista laaja-alaisista sisällöistä on sosioemotionaalisten taitojen oppiminen. Tässä tutkimuksessa selvitettiin opettajien näkemyksiä sosioemotionaalisesta oppimisesta. Näkemyksiä selvitettiin tarkastelemalla opettajien uskomuksia, tietoja ja asenteita sosioemotionaalisesta oppimisesta. Lisäksi tutkimuksessa selvitettiin, miten opettajat toteuttavat sosioemotionaalisten taitojen opetusta käytännön työssään. Tieto- ja viestintäteknologian sekä digitaalisuuden hyödyntäminen kouluissa on nykyisin arkipäivää, minkä vuoksi tutkimuksessa selvitettiin myös, minkälaisia digitaalisia alustoja, oppimisympäristöjä, sovelluksia tai välineitä opettajat hyödyntävät sosioemotionaalisten taitojen opetuksessa. Tutkimus toteutettiin kyselytutkimuksena jakamalla kyselylomake sosiaalisessa mediassa sekä lähettämällä kysely opettajille sähköpostitse. Tutkimukseen osallistuneet (N = 68) olivat eri ikäisiä opettajia, joista suurin osa oli naisia. Opettajien näkemyksiä sosioemotionaalisesta oppimisesta kartoitettiin Likert-asteikollisten (”täysin eri mieltä”, ”jokseenkin eri mieltä”, ”ei samaa eikä eri mieltä”, ”jokseenkin samaa mieltä” sekä ”täysin samaa mieltä”) väittämien avulla ja tutkittiin tarkastelemalla väittämistä muodostettujen summamuuttujien frekvenssiluokkia. Opettajien sosioemotionaalisten taitojen opetuskäytänteitä selvitettiin laadullisin menetelmin luokittelun avulla. Sosioemotionaalisten taitojen opetuksessa hyödynnettäviä digitaalisia alustoja, oppimisympäristöjä, sovelluksia ja välineitä tutkittiin tarkastelemalla frekvenssejä. Opettajien näkemykset sosioemotionaalisesta oppimisesta olivat pääasiassa jokseenkin positiiviset tai sitä positiivisemmat. Opettajista suurin osa toteutti sosioemotionaalisten taitojen opetusta eri oppiaineiden opetuksen yhteydessä. Osa opettajista kertoi, että taitojen opetusta toteutetaan opetuksen lomassa tapahtuvissa tilanteissa tai erikseen sille varattuna aikana. Muutama opettaja kertoi, ettei toteuta juuri ollenkaan kyseisten taitojen opetusta. Lisäksi aineistosta kävi ilmi erilaisia kuvailuja tilanteista, joissa opettajat hyödyntävät tieto- ja viestintäteknologiaa sosioemotionaalisten taitojen opetuksessa. Tilannekuvailujen katsottiin syventävän tietoa siitä, miten opettajat hyödyntävät sosioemotionaalisten taitojen opetuksessa tieto- ja viestintäteknologiaa, minkä vuoksi tällaiset kuvailut huomioitiin omana luokkanaan laadullisen aineiston analyysissä. Sosioemotionaalisten taitojen opetuksessa käytetyistä tieto- ja viestintäteknologisista sekä digitaalisista alustoista, oppimisympäristöistä, sovelluksista ja välineistä suosituimpia olivat erityisesti yhteiskäyttöalustat sekä aiheeseen virittävät materiaalit. Vaikka opettajien näkemykset olivat pääasiassa jokseenkin positiiviset tai positiivisemmat, antavat tulokset kuitenkin viitteitä siitä, että opettajien sosioemotionaaliseen oppimiseen liittyvissä näkemyksissä on vielä myös kehitettävää. Tähän tutkimukseen osallistuneiden opettajien osalta erityisesti kehitettävää näyttäisi olevan sosioemotionaaliseen oppimiseen liittyvissä uskomuksissa sitoutumisen ja koulun organisaatiokulttuurin osalta sekä sosioemotionaaliseen oppimiseen liittyvissä tiedoissa. Aihe vaatii kuitenkin vielä jatkotutkimusta, sillä suuremmalla aineistolla on mahdollista tarkastella opettajien näkemyksiä vielä laajemmin sekä yleistää saatuja tuloksia myös suurempaan joukkoon

The Effectiveness of PowerPoint Software in Developing Mathematical Skills among of Students with Special Needs in Jordan

The study aimed to reveal the effectiveness of the PowerPoint software in developing the skills of mathematical operations among students with special needs in Jordan. To achieve the aim of the study, the method was used (semi-experimental) for its suitability for the purposes of the study, where the researchers chose an intentional sample of (40) students with special needs and they were randomly distributed into two groups (experimental and control), and the two study tools were prepared, which were the achievement test (pre-post). And test the transmission of the effect of learning after verifying their validity and reliability. The results of the study showed that the use of the PowerPoint software has contributed to the development of the skills of arithmetic operations (addition - subtraction), and that the software has a clear impact on the transmission of the learning effect among students. In light of these results, the study recommended the use of PowerPoint software in developing all mathematical operations skills among students with learning disabilities

An immersive virtual reality educational intervention on people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) for the development of communication skills and problem solving

This paper proposes the design and application of a head mounted display (HMD) immersive virtual reality system to improve and train the emotional and social skills of students with autism spectrum disorders. We selected two groups of 7 high functioning ASD children each, ages between 8 and 15, and similar educational capabilities. On the first group, we applied an own intervention design working on social and emotional competences along 10 sessions by using Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) as a didactical tool, re-creating virtual environments of socialization (a classroom and a play garden). The second group is used as control, and as such is not put through any sort of intervention during the intervention period. The adaptation levels and the improvements obtained suggest that IVR in the presented format is in line with the sensory preferences and visuospatial strength of the ASD children participating in this study. Consequently, we may conclude that IVR can be satisfactory used as educational tool for ASD children

Dans la peau d’une personne autiste : mesurer les attitudes, les connaissances et l’ouverture envers l’autisme pour évaluer les effets d’une application de réalité virtuelle de sensibilisation

Selon l’Organisation Mondiale de la Santé (OMS), la stigmatisation est une marque de honte, de disgrâce et de désapprobation, conduisant une personne à être évitée et rejetée par les autres. Cette stigmatisation crée des obstacles par rapport au traitement, à l’inclusion dans la société et à l’accès aux services des personnes ayant des troubles du développement. En tant que trouble du développement, l’autisme n’en fait pas exception. Les situations d’exclusion et de stigmatisation sont courantes dans la vie d’une personne autiste, aboutissant même parfois à des violences physiques et psychologiques. La lutte contre la stigmatisation à l’autisme est très importante, mais les interventions visant la réduction de la stigmatisation ne sont pas toujours efficaces. Cette thèse vise donc à explorer les enjeux liés à la stigmatisation envers les personnes autistes et à évaluer un outil technologique, une simulation de réalité virtuelle, pour en diminuer les impacts. La première étude a examiné l'influence de variables sociodémographiques sur les attitudes, les connaissances et l'ouverture envers l'autisme ainsi que les associations potentielles entre ces construits dans une population francophone. Dans l’ensemble, les résultats de cette étude indiquent des attitudes modérément positives, des connaissances modérées et des niveaux élevés d'ouverture à l'autisme dans notre échantillon de 53 personnes principalement composé d’étudiants au cégep. Les participants dans le domaine de la physique, la biologie, les mathématiques ou l'informatique ont montré une plus grande connaissance de l'autisme. De plus, les personnes qui connaissaient une personne autiste ont obtenu des scores plus élevés sur les échelles de connaissance et d’ouverture. Les analyses ont révélé une forte corrélation entre les échelles des attitudes et d’ouverture et une corrélation modérée entre les échelles des connaissances et d’ouverture. Ces résultats suggèrent que l’échelle des attitudes et de l’ouverture ont peut- être mesuré le même construit. Néanmoins, chaque échelle pourrait demeurer pertinente pour examiner les effets des programmes de sensibilisation à l’autisme. La deuxième étude visait à développer et évaluer une application de réalité virtuelle conçue pour mettre les participants « dans la peau » d'une personne autiste pendant une tâche de routine. Nous avons mené un essai contrôlé randomisé dans lequel 104 participants d’une communauté cégépienne ont répondu aux questionnaires utilisés dans la première étude. Avant de répondre à ces questionnaires, les participants du groupe expérimental ont également complété une simulation de réalité virtuelle de 8 minutes conçue par l'équipe de recherche en collaboration avec des personnes autistes. Les résultats ont montré que les participants qui ont complété la simulation de réalité virtuelle présentaient des attitudes plus positives, plus de connaissances et une plus grande ouverture envers l’autisme que ceux du groupe contrôle. Ensemble, les études effectuées dans le cadre de ma thèse doctorale soulignent que les simulations de réalité virtuelle sont des outils prometteurs pour sensibiliser à l’autisme. Les études futures doivent continuer à s’intéresser à l’efficacité des outils technologiques, mais également aux facteurs sous-jacents qui favorisent leur utilisation dans le cadre d’interventions de sensibilisation.According to the World Health Organization (WHO), stigmatization is a mark of shame, disgrace and disapproval, leading to avoidance and rejection by others. Stigmatization creates barriers to treatment, inclusion in society and access to services for people with developmental disabilities. As a developmental disability, autism is no exception. Situations of exclusion and stigmatization are common in the life of an autistic person, sometimes even leading to physical and psychological abuse. Combating stigmatization in autism is important, but interventions designed to reduce stigmatization are not always efficient. Therefore, this thesis aims to explore the issues related to stigmatization toward autistic individuals and to evaluate a technological tool, a virtual reality simulation, to reduce its impacts. The first study of my doctoral thesis examined the influence of sociodemographic variables on attitudes, knowledge, and openness toward autism as well as the potential associations between these constructs in a French-speaking population. Overall, the results of this study indicate moderately positive attitudes, moderate knowledge, and high levels of openness toward autism in our sample of 53 junior college students. Participants in the fields of physics, biology, mathematics, or computer science showed higher knowledge of autism. Moreover, individuals who knew an autistic person displayed higher scores on the knowledge and openness scales. Statistical analyses revealed a strong correlation between the attitudes and openness scales, and a moderate correlation between the knowledge and openness scales. The results of the study suggest that the attitudes and openness scales may have measured the same construct. However, each scale may still be relevant for examining the effects of autism awareness programs. iv The second study of my doctoral thesis aimed to develop and evaluate a virtual reality application designed to put participants “in the shoes” of an autistic person during a routine task. We conducted a randomized controlled trial in which 104 participants from a college community completed the three questionnaires used in the first study. Prior to completing these questionnaires, the participants in the experimental group also completed an 8-minute virtual reality simulation designed by the research team in collaboration with autistic persons. Our results showed that the participants who completed the virtual reality simulation displayed more positive attitudes, higher knowledge, and openness toward autism than those in the control group. Together, the studies carried out as part of my doctoral dissertation highlight that virtual reality simulations are promising tools for raising awareness about autism. Future studies should continue to focus on the effectiveness of the technological tools and the underlying factors that support their use in awareness interventions

Using Virtual and Augmented Reality to Teach Children on the Autism Spectrum with Intellectual Disabilities: A Scoping Review

In recent years, both Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technology have shown great promise for the instruction of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by simulating real-world experiences in a safe and controlled environment. However, there are many reports of the failure of such research to include individuals with both ASD and Intellectual Disability (ID). The present scoping review consists of 20 studies which utilized VR/AR to teach various skills to children and youth with comorbid ASD and ID. Findings show that within the small number of eligible studies, a great deal of variation exists in essentially every intervention element (e.g., identification of ID, VR/AR equipment, target skills). Beyond increasing the quantity of VR/AR intervention research conducted on this population, the current review suggests the need for greater uniformity and consistency to improve research, practice, and the lives of those with ASD and ID who may benefit from such interventions

Diverse approaches to learning with immersive Virtual Reality identified from a systematic review

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

Diverse approaches to learning with immersive Virtual Reality identified from a systematic review

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

Social Skill Development in Teenagers with Autism Who Are Homeschooled in Rural Southwest: A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experience of Caregivers

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to describe the caregiver\u27s lived experience of social skill development in their teenage or young adult students who have autism. Vygotsky\u27s social constructivism theory frames the structure of social development within the student\u27s family, community, and local culture. The central research question guiding this study was, what were the caregivers\u27 lived experiences of social interactions with their homeschooled teenager or young adult diagnosed with autism? All participants were caregivers of teenage or young adult students diagnosed with autism who received all or part of their schooling through homeschooling, micro-schooling, or habilitation services in their home in the rural Southwest United States. Data was collected in person and via electronic means (e.g., video conferencing) through journal writing, individual interviews, and focus groups. Journals, individual interviews, and focus groups were analyzed to triangulate the data to improve the reliability and validity of the data collected. Themes within the caregiver\u27s lived experience were compared with themes that emerged across each caregiver\u27s lived experience to identify effective practices for developing social skills among teenage and young adult students with autism. Themes developed from the data were caregiver resources and challenges, intervention services and planning for the future, and social maturation. By keeping their true natural environment constant during their formative years, teenagers and young adults may have better success at learning functional communication and self-regulation skills, which are foundational to learning social skills. Social skills, in turn, are foundational to successful integration into communities and workplaces and may help alleviate comorbidities of depression and mental illnesses