Synthesizing sociocultural and cognitivist approaches to learning in a simulation-based model for immersive virtual reality safety training

A simulation-based model for immersive virtual reality (IVR) safety training was developed in this study. Simulations offer an effective training method due to their strong contextualization and phasing, which reduces the cognitive load of learners and supports training transfer. IVR has specific advantages for occupational safety training because it provides a safe environment to train for possibly hazardous situations and supports training effectiveness by increasing learner interest and engagement that may contribute towards the achievement of safety learning goals and training transfer to work routines. However, IVR research has remained mostly disconnected from learning theories, and empirically grounded and practiceoriented models for the pedagogically viable application of IVR environments in safety training have not yet been proposed.

To address the research gap, the current study aimed to: (1) develop an ecologically valid and contextually sensitive model to guide the implementation of IVR in occupational safety training settings for the benefit of training practitioners in work organizations, enterprises, and educational institutions; (2) study the significance of learner–IVR interactivity for the learners’ sense of agency, cognitive load, and safety learning outcomes, and provide recommendations for IVR training design based on these results; and (3) explore the role of individual learner factors for the learners’ experience of the IVR training scenarios. To achieve this study’s pragmatic and theoretical objectives, design-based research (DBR) was selected as the guiding paradigm. The expertise of the safety trainers in the participating work organizations was utilized in the conceptualization of the model, and the training interventions were planned in collaboration with them.

This dissertation draws on three sub-studies, each reported and published as a peer-reviewed international journal article. The initial conceptualization of the model was based on research literature and the findings from semi-structured thematic interviews with 18 safety trainers in two work organizations to ensure a functional selection of the pedagogical practices and IVR learning design principles that support occupational safety training objectives and training transfer (Substudy I). A mixed-methods experimental approach was applied to study learner–IVR interactivity and the learners’ experiences during the training interventions. A total of 22 training sessions were held for 68 participants in two work organizations (Substudies II and III).

The simulation-based model for IVR safety training introduces the key elements of IVR safety training design and delivery: learning objectives and outcomes, trainers’ pre- and post-training activities, and trainer and learner actions during the four training phases—introduction, IVR briefing, IVR scenario, and debriefing. The empirical results indicate that the simulation-based model enables cognitive and affective safety learning outcomes. A high level of interactivity between the learners and the IVR environment is recommended as an important IVR design feature: It supports instructional designs that foster agency and involvement, and creates premises for learning outcomes and training transfer. IVR scenario designs involving high interactivity and familiar work procedures may support learners’ generative cognitive processing. The learners’ previous VR experiences should also be observed in IVR safety training design by implementing tutorials and practice sessions, as well as including attentional guidance and motivational elements in the scenario design. The simulation-based model is applicable across various industries and educational levels to provide more engaging and effective safety training. It is also adaptable to different topics in curricular contexts.