Developing an Immersive Virtual Reality Learning Environment Integrating Trauma-Informed Principles in an Agency Setting

Overview: This presentation details the creation of a Virtual Reality Learning Environment (VRLE) designed to educate students on how trauma-informed (TI) principles can be integrated into the physical environments of human service agencies. The integration and beta-test assessment of a TI VRLE into a social work doctoral program will be discussed.Proposal text: Background
To prepare the next generation of social workers, students must have knowledge of how virtual reality (VR) technologies work and how VR can be integrated into social work practice. VR allows for the creation of immersive 3D virtual experiences. These virtual experiences have potential to revolutionize teaching and social work practice (Fowler, 2015; Huang, Rauch, & Liaw, 2010; Martín-Gutiérrez et al., 2017; Reinsmith-Jones, Kibbe, Crayton, & Campbell, 2015). VR provides interactive learning environments that encourage active learning, higher student engagement, real time interaction, and contribute to students’ sense of social presence (Martin-Gutierrez, et al., 2017). Jensen & Konradsen (2018) conducted a meta-analysis pertaining to the use of Head Mounted Displays (HMDs) and found support for the use of HMD-based Virtual Reality Learning Environments (VRLEs) for cognitive skill development, including observational skills, affective skills, and simulations that evoke emotional responses in the learner. Additionally, Huang & Liaw (2018) found that self-efficacy, perceived usefulness, and learning motivation were important factors to consider when using VR for learning.

The University at Buffalo School of Social Work developed a VRLE to simulate a trauma-informed outpatient clinic, with an overall goal to teach students about trauma-informed (TI) principles and how these are operationalized in physical clinical spaces, to provide learners opportunities to assess barriers and facilitators to treatment engagement with clients that have trauma histories, and to promote empathy for clients’ service experiences. The goal of beta testing the VRLE was to ascertain whether the built environment functioned as intended and to elicit feedback toward completing the final build.

Methods
An online quantitative survey was distributed to beta-test participants (i.e., doctoral students, faculty, and content team; n=20) to assess the overall usability of the simulation, experience with the simulation tutorials, ease of simulation navigation, experience with instructional and assessment modes, and application of TI principles. Within each of these areas, qualitative feedback was also solicited. Univariate descriptive statistics were used to summarize all quantitative measures. A series of one-way analysis of variance (ANOVAs) were conducted to describe the association between the participants and the VRLE assessment measures.

Results
There was an associate between comfort level with technology, comfort level with VR, and the majority of VLRE assessment measures. Most notably, higher mean scores were associated with having greater comfort with technology in the following areas: experience with simulation materials (p