Towards Immersive Training for Inclusive Education: Co-designing a Virtual Reality Application for Educators

Author Information

Malak Kanaan, ENSAM, France
Sylvain Fleury, ENSAM, France
Vivien Walter, i-magineXR, France
Karine Galmiche, i-magineXR, France
Simon Richir, ENSAM, France
Nour El Mawas, Université de Lorraine, France

Abstract

This study examines how educators’ needs can inform immersive training scenarios for supporting learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Grounded in Design-Based Research, it used a sequential mixed-methods design: an online questionnaire-based survey, interviews and co-design workshops. Survey results showed a gap between direct experience and specific training, alongside conditional interest in virtual reality (VR)-based professional development. Interviews identified recurring challenges involving sensory overload, explicit communication, oral assessment, and unexpected transitions. Workshop participants evaluated eight interview-derived scenarios and prioritized three: instruction lost in classroom noise, refusal to give an oral presentation, and an unexpected classroom transition. The study contributes a traceable process linking field needs to refined, prioritized training scenarios and derives design implications for a future immersive educator training.

Save as a Favourite

• Category: Education & Difference: Gifted Education, Special Education, Learning Difficulties & Disability

Posted by James Alexander Gordon

All Posts