The rise of the metaverse offers new opportunities for engaging training experiences, especially in the realm of soft skills development. Considering the possibilities offered by both metaverse and virtual reality technologies to provide different levels of immersion, we need to consider whether training through immersive technologies or less/non-immersive technologies is more effective. Hence, this study investigates the role of immersivity in a metaverse-based training on employees’ empathic communication abilities. Adopting a quasi-experimental design, a total of 45 participants from a business company were randomly assigned to two groups. The control group took part in the non-immersive training condition, via desktop, while the experimental group took part in the same training but delivered with a virtual reality headset. The training has been designed based on experiential learning theory and principles derived from experience design for both groups. After the training, participants were asked to rate their self-perception of communication competence, the perceived satisfaction with the training experience, embodiment, and sense of presence. The findings reveal good levels of self-perceived communication competence and satisfaction with experience in both groups, but not a significant difference between them, even though the two groups significantly differ in terms of perceived embodiment and a sense of presence. The research highlights the metaverse’s potential in delivering training in the workplace bringing the perspective that immersivity alone does not represent the key element of a meaningful learning experience. Moreover, this is one of the first studies comparing the exact same educational experience via two digital media.
Bartolotta, S., Pizzolante, M., Motta, V., Garza, L., Gaggioli, A., Is Immersivity Important in Training Soft Skills in the Metaverse?, in Extended Reality. XR Salento 2024. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, (Lecce, 04-07 September 2024), Springer Nature, GEWERBESTRASSE 11, CHAM, CH-6330, SWITZERLAND 2024:<<LECTURE NOTES IN COMPUTER SCIENCE>>, 38-57. [10.1007/978-3-031-71713-0_3] [https://hdl.handle.net/10807/303458]
Is Immersivity Important in Training Soft Skills in the Metaverse?
Bartolotta, Sabrina;Pizzolante, Marta;Gaggioli, Andrea
2024
Abstract
The rise of the metaverse offers new opportunities for engaging training experiences, especially in the realm of soft skills development. Considering the possibilities offered by both metaverse and virtual reality technologies to provide different levels of immersion, we need to consider whether training through immersive technologies or less/non-immersive technologies is more effective. Hence, this study investigates the role of immersivity in a metaverse-based training on employees’ empathic communication abilities. Adopting a quasi-experimental design, a total of 45 participants from a business company were randomly assigned to two groups. The control group took part in the non-immersive training condition, via desktop, while the experimental group took part in the same training but delivered with a virtual reality headset. The training has been designed based on experiential learning theory and principles derived from experience design for both groups. After the training, participants were asked to rate their self-perception of communication competence, the perceived satisfaction with the training experience, embodiment, and sense of presence. The findings reveal good levels of self-perceived communication competence and satisfaction with experience in both groups, but not a significant difference between them, even though the two groups significantly differ in terms of perceived embodiment and a sense of presence. The research highlights the metaverse’s potential in delivering training in the workplace bringing the perspective that immersivity alone does not represent the key element of a meaningful learning experience. Moreover, this is one of the first studies comparing the exact same educational experience via two digital media.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.