Description project
Providing an effective oral presentation is a central skill in many academic domains. Presenting helps students and professionals develop and communicate concepts, negotiate ideas and plans, and share research findings. However, in many educational programmes, the skill to present effectively receives little attention due to time constraints, and teachers have scarce opportunity to exchange formative feedback. Students, as such, practice their presentation skills in ways that are variable in effectiveness.
Virtual Reality may offer an accessible solution to the time constraints that prevent programmes from teaching presentation skills in a targeted way. This technology offers an immersive experience that is repeatable and free of barriers such as the need to gather live audiences. Moreover, the recent integration of generative AI into Virtual Reality platforms enables the possibility for learners to engage in live conversation with virtual avatars, for example to practice Q&A sessions or to receive the type of oral feedback to a presentation that a teacher would give in a classroom setting.
The aims of this project are twofold. On the one hand, it aims to develop learning materials that are centred around reflective presentation practices, to implement in higher education. On the other hand, effectiveness of the various possibilities of engaging with the options of VR, such as live or postponed feedback, and generative AI are explored to investigate how student learning can best be scaffolded in a Virtual Environment.
Expected outcomes
- Guidelines for implementing scaffolding in VR presentation skills training
- Guidelines for prompting AI for VR presentation skills training
- Workshop materials
- Journal publications
involved researchers
Duration of the project
January 2026 – December 2026
Funding & partners
BMS Strategic Research Fund
publications related to this project
Not applicable