Using Heart Rate Variability for Comparing the Effectiveness of Virtual vs Real Training Environments for...

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Educational Technology

Background:

• Virtual Reality (VR) offers advantages for professional training over traditional methods.
• Firefighter training requires effective methods to impart critical skills and knowledge.
• Assessing training effectiveness necessitates robust physiological and cognitive measures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of Virtual Environment (VE) and Real Environment (RE) training for firefighters.
• To evaluate training outcomes using Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and self-report measures.
• To assess knowledge transfer, stress, fatigue, presence, and cybersickness in both training environments.

Main Methods:

• Participants underwent training in either a VE or an RE designed for firefighters.
• Heart Rate Variability (HRV) was analyzed to measure physiological stress.
• Self-report questionnaires assessed fatigue, stress, sense of presence, cybersickness, and knowledge transfer.

Main Results:

• HRV analysis indicated physiological stress in both VE and RE, with lower intensity in the VE.
• Self-reported fatigue and stress levels did not increase in either environment.
• The VE significantly increased knowledge transfer (median: 4 to 7, p = .003), while the RE showed a non-significant increase (median: 4 to 5, p = .375).
• Participants reported high presence and no cybersickness in the VE.

Conclusions:

• The Virtual Environment (VE) provided effective firefighter training, demonstrating significant knowledge transfer.
• Despite lower physiological stress, the VE's overall training effectiveness was found to be lower than the Real Environment (RE).
• HRV is a viable method for assessing physiological stress during training simulations.