Getting to know VR: Using a Knowledge Translation tool for therapists

A knowledge translation intervention to enhance clinical application of a virtual reality system in stroke rehabilitation

Single Group

Levac D, Glegg SMN, Sveistrup H, Colquhoun H, Miller PA, Finestone H, DePaul V, Harris JA & Velikonja D

BMC Health Serv Res. 2016; 16: 557. Published online 2016 Oct 6. doi: 10.1186/s12913-016-1807-6

Full text: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5052802/

Objective: In a sample of therapists, does a Knowledge Translation (KT) tool result in pre- to post-intervention improvements in VR technology adoption?

Process: Therapists were rated on the ADOPT-VR tool (Assessing Determinants of Prospective Takeup - Virtual Reality) before and after the KT intervention which included interactive e-learning modules, hands-on workshops and experiential learning practice sessions.

Outcomes: Pre- to post-intervention changes included improvement in therapists’ sense of agency and in increased facilitating conditions. Therapist knowledge and skills for using VR also increased. Barriers to use, intention to use and actual use did not change with the KT intervention for using VR. Low perceived usability of the VR system and some IREX-specific problems represented barriers, too.

Veridicality: Blending the Virtual with the Reality in Autism Research

Authenticity in Virtual Reality for assessment and intervention in Autism: A conceptual review

Literature Review

Parsons, S

Educational Research Review 19: (2016) 138 - 157

Link to abstract http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/399407/

A challenge of behavioural research is how to create experimental, laboratory settings that relate to real world experiences. Virtual reality has the capability to provide a blend of experimental control and realistic scenarios; a characteristic is called veridicality.

This literature review looks at the way virtual reality veridicality is used to find the different factors affecting the social interactions of people with autism. The review findings fall into two main categories. Veridicality is a way of blending synthetic and realistic social scenarios to provide learning and a way that transfers knowledge and skills to the real world. It can also be a way of providing authentic but controlled social settings where responses can be assessed to help understand the autism difference.

Autism research in virtual reality will at best be made up using the best ideas of researchers, influenced by the perspective of people with autism spectrum disorder and leveraging the capabilities of veridicality.