Bruno Miguel Peixoto

Abstract

Abstract
Among the wide application areas that Virtual Reality (VR) can have a major impact, one is Education. However, this potential is still unexplored, and one of these gaps has to do with language learning. Listening activities, which are often only supported by audio, are thought of to be demanding area when it comes to learning a second or foreign language and so therefore an interesting area for VR to take place. This pilot study therefore presents the perceptions of foreign language teachers regarding a novel medium for delivering listening activities to their students: Virtual Reality technology. The results show that foreign language teachers are of the opinion that this technology can help motivate students and potentiate the student’s learning curve regarding the listening of a foreign or second language. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019.

Abstract
There are still open questions about the effectiveness of Virtual Reality (VR) in Education when compared to conventional learning methods. This paper studies the feasibility of a VR-based learning tool and the possible differences in knowledge retention across a VR learning method and a conventional audio method, when it comes to learning a foreign language. Also, the students’ sense of presence and satisfaction were studied. For such purpose, a user study was conducted and results revealed that while presence and satisfaction were higher in Virtual Reality, the knowledge retention score remains the same across both experimental conditions. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019.

Abstract
Virtual Reality (VR) has been evolving over the years, becoming more and more accessible, in a wide area of applications. One of these areas where VR can have a major impact is training and certification. Hydrogen vehicles are becoming a reality and first responders still lack proper tools and resources to train emergency responses for the purpose. VR can play here a crucial role in ensuring a proper hydrogen emergency response training due to the advantages associated with VR training programs such as resource optimization, repeatability, and replicability. This paper proposes using VR for hydrogen emergency response training by developing a solution composed of three components: tutorial mode, training mode, and certification mode. A usability study is further conducted to evaluate its usability and user satisfaction. The results show that the use of this application regards usability and user satisfaction were extremely positive. © 2019 IEEE.