Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Serious Games
Date Submitted: Oct 20, 2021
Open Peer Review Period: Oct 19, 2021 - Oct 27, 2021
Date Accepted: Feb 3, 2022
Date Submitted to PubMed: Feb 6, 2022
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Using virtual reality to improve classroom behaviour in people with Down syndrome: An experimental study
ABSTRACT
Background:
People with Down syndrome often encounter significant challenges in learning settings. Expressive and creative activities may be an effective way to improve the behaviour of people with Down syndrome in learning settings. Immersive and interactive technologies, such as virtual reality (VR), are often used to provide rich visual experiences that elicit feelings of presence and immersion in a user.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of VR exposure for people with Down syndrome in learning settings.
Methods:
To address this aim, we explored the effect of a brief VR drawing experience to conventional drawing on subsequent behaviour in 16 participants.
Results:
Large positive effects were found for VR drawing (t15=5.02; P<.001) and conventional drawing (t15=3.72; P=.002) to improve subsequent behaviour in a learning setting. Irrespective of the intervention, the participant’s mood, attention, and overall behaviour significantly improved. No significant differences were found between interventions (t15=-0.648; P=0.527).
Conclusions:
This study’s results are encouraging for researchers and educators interested in using VR for people with Down syndrome as VR was found to be highly feasible. Recommendations are made for researchers and educators interested in providing VR experiences for people with Down syndrome.
Citation
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Copyright
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