[DC] Designing VR for Teamwork: The Influence of HMD VR Communication Capabilities on Teamwork Competencies

Abstract

With recent technological advancements, Virtual Reality (VR) has been advocated as an effective team training delivery method. However, to date, research has focused on demonstrating its effectiveness at the system level rather than isolating those factors within the system design (e.g. display size) that may influence the development of teamwork competencies. Communication is a significant component of teamwork. However, within Head Mounted Display (HMD)-based VR systems, communication is computer-mediated, resulting in the deprivation of important audio and visual cues. This research project therefore investigates the following question: “How do system design attributes that manipulate communication in HMD VR training systems affect the team's ability for effective performance?”.