Could virtual reality training be effective for enhancing empathetic behaviours in disability support worker training

Area of Science:

• Disability Studies
• Educational Technology
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• The Australian disability support sector faces increasing demand for client-centered care.
• Virtual reality (VR) is emerging as a training tool for disability support workers (DSWs).

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize the current state of Australian disability support training.
• To highlight VR technology adoption in the sector.
• To identify challenges in VR implementation, focusing on user acceptance and experience.

Main Methods:

• This is a position paper, synthesizing existing knowledge and expert opinion.
• Analysis of current VR applications in disability support training.
• Identification of potential barriers to VR adoption.

Main Results:

• VR offers potential for enhancing empathetic behaviors in DSWs.
• Lack of user acceptance testing and user experience (UX) design can lead to ineffective VR training.
• Future VR interventions must be intuitive, easy to learn, and user-friendly.

Conclusions:

• User acceptance testing and UX design are critical for successful VR implementation in disability support.
• Future research should explore strategies to increase sector acceptance of VR.
• Key design considerations include technical literacy, technology perception, onboarding communication, and co-design.