Opening the “Black Box” of VR for Workforce Development: Investigating Learners’ Device, Usage, and Identities

Virtual reality (VR) technologies are increasingly used in workforce development and training, and studies show they can be effective tools to increase learning of procedural skills, content knowledge, and affective outcomes like confidence. Most studies of VR in education and training, however, have focused on the hardware by comparing learning with VR to other devices in controlled lab experiments. This “black box” approach does not attend to variation beyond the device, such as how learners use an application and the influence of their identity and context on their learning with VR. This study addressed the need for more research on learning with VR in authentic workforce development contexts to better understand how diverse participants use these programs and to what extent their individual characteristics impact their experience. Using data from 1,154 users of a VR-enabled job interview training for individuals affected by the criminal justice system, we assessed variation in how participants used the program and their reported changes in confidence, and estimated associations with device, usage, and learners’ characteristics. We find learners’ experience and context is a stronger predictor of increased confidence level than device or usage activities, particularly whether participants are currently or formerly incarcerated. Further, we demonstrate how cluster analysis on log-file data can distinguish learners’ use patterns, a promising method for personalizing feedback and training.