Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Virtual reality and its role in removing the barriers that turn cognitive impairments into intellectual disability

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Virtual Reality Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Early expectations of the contribution that virtual reality (VR) could make to education far exceeded actual applications. This was largely due to the initial immaturity of the technology and a lack of evidence base on which to base design and utilisation. While the early developments in computer based learning largely concentrated on mainstream education, leaving those with special needs behind, the potential of VR as an educational tool was exploited for those with intellectual disabilities right from the start. This paper describes the empirical evidence that has contributed to the development of educational virtual reality for those with intellectual disabilities: studies on transfer of learning from the virtual to the real world; how teachers might support those using VR; the design of virtual environments and what input/control devices best facilitate use of desktop VR. Future developments and ethical issues are also considered.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anderton N, Standen PJ, Avory K (2004) Using switch controlled software with people with profound disabilities. In: Sharkey PM, McCrindle R, Brown D (eds) Proceedings of the fifth international conference on disability, virtual reality and associated technologies, pp 269–274

  • Barry PL, Phillips (2002) Whatever happened to virtual reality? http://www.firstscience.com/site/articles/virtual_reality.asp

  • Battersby S, Brown DJ, Standen PJ, Anderton N, Harrison M (2004) Design, development and manufacture of novel assistive/adaptive technology devices for virtual learning environments. In: Sharkey PM (ed) Proceedings of the fifth international conference on disability, virtual reality and associated technologies, pp 83–290

  • Baty FJ, Michie MA, Lindsay WR (1989) Teaching mentally handicapped adults to use a cafeteria. J Ment Defic Res 33:137–148

    Google Scholar 

  • Blamires M (ed) (1999) Enabling technology for inclusion. Paul Chapman Publishing, London

  • Bricken W (1991) Training in virtual reality. In: Proceedings of the 1st international conference on virtual reality. Meckler International, London

  • Brooks T, Camurri A, Canagarajah N, Hasselblad S (2002) Interaction with shapes and sounds as a therapy for special needs and rehabilitation. In: Sharkey PM, Sik Lányi C, Standen PJ (eds) Proceedings of the fourth international conference on disability, virtual reality and associated technologies, pp 205–212

  • Brown DJ, Kerr SJ, Crosier J (1997) Appropriate input devices for students with learning and motor skills difficulties. Report to the National Council for Educational Technology, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown DJ, Neale H, Cobb SV, Reynolds H(1999) The development and evaluation of the virtual city. Int J Virtual Real 4(1):28–41

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Bruner JS (1968) Processes of cognitive growth: infancy. Clark University Press, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Buchenau M, Suri JF (2000) Experience prototyping. Symposium on designing interactive systems. In: Proceedings of the ACM conference on designing interactive systems: processed, practices, methods, and techniques, August 17–19, 2000, Brooklyn

  • Busby G (2005) Making a connection: Social Inclusion and Disability. IT Now: The magazine for the IT Professional, July 6–7

  • Chen SHA, Bernard-Opitz V (1993) Comparison of personal and computer-assisted instruction for children with autism. Ment Retard 31:368–376

    Google Scholar 

  • Cromby JJ, Standen PJ, Brown DJ (1996) The potentials of virtual environments in the education and training of people with learning disabilities. J Intellect Disabil Res 40(6):489–501

    Google Scholar 

  • Davies RR, Rogers ES (1985) Social skills training with persons who are mentally retarded. Ment Retard 23:186–196

    Google Scholar 

  • Department of Health (2001) Valuing People: a new strategy for learning disability for the 21st century. HMSO, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Donaldson M (1978) Children’s minds. Fontana, London

  • Dube WV, Moniz DH, Gomes JF (1995) Use of computer- and teacher delivered prompts in discrimination training with individuals who have mental retardation. Am J Retard 100:253–261

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldenberg E P (1979) Special technology for special children. University Park Press, Baltimore

    Google Scholar 

  • Gow LP, Balla J, Butterfield E (1990) The relative efficacy of cognitive and behavioural approaches to instruction in promoting adaptive capacity. In: Fraser WI (ed) Key issues in mental retardation research. Routledge, London, pp 366–376

  • Griffiths M (2004) Can videogames be good for your health? J Health Psychol 9(3):339–344

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hall JD (1993) Explorations of Population Expectations and Stereotypes with Relevance to Design undergraduate thesis, Department of Manufacturing Engineering, University of Nottingham

  • Hawkridge D, Vincent T (1992) Learning difficulties and computers. Jessica Kingsley, London

    Google Scholar 

  • ISO/IEC (2000) 18529 Human-centred lifecycle process descriptions. ISO/IEC TR 18529: 2000 (E)

  • ISO/IEC (2000) 9126 Software product quality–quality model. ISO/IEC 9126: 2000 (E)

  • Lahav O, Mioduser D (2000) Multisensory virtual environment for supporting blind persons’ acquisition of spatial cognitive mapping, orientation and mobility skills. In: Sharkey PM, Cesarani A, Pugnetti L, Rizzo A (eds) Proceedings of the third international conference on disability, virtual reality and associated technologies, pp 53–58

  • Lannen TJ, Brown DJ, Powell H (2002) Control of virtual environments for young people with learning difficulties. Disabil Rehabil 24(11–12):578–586

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lannen TJ (2002) A multi-disciplinary approach to the control of virtual environments for young people with moderate to severe learning difficulties. PhD Thesis, Nottingham Trent University

  • Light P (1997) Annotation: computers for learning: psychological perspectives. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 38:497–504

    Google Scholar 

  • Mayer RE (2004) Should there be a three-strikes rule against pure discovery learning? Am Psychol 59(1):14–19

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McLellan H (1991) Virtual environments and situated learning. Multimedia Rev 2:30–37

    Google Scholar 

  • Middleton T (1992) Advanced technology for enhancing the education of students with disabilities. J Microcomput Appl 15:1–7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • National Development Group for the Mentally Handicapped (1977) Day Services for Mentally Handicapped Adults. Department of Health and Social Security, London

  • Nemire K, Crane R (1996) Designing a virtual science laboratory to accommodate needs of students with cerebral palsy. In: Murphy HJ (ed) Proceedings of the tenth international conference on technology and persons with disabilities. California State University Center on Disabilities, Northridge

  • Pantelidis VS (1993) Virtual reality in the classroom. Edu Technol 33:23–27

    Google Scholar 

  • Parsons S, Mitchell P (2002) The potential of virtual reality in social skills training for people with autistic spectrum disorders. J Intellect Disabil Res 46(5):430–443

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Poulson DF, Waddell FN (2001) USERfit: user centred design in assistive technology. In: Nicholle CA, Abascal J (eds) Inclusive guidelines for HCI. Taylor and Francis, London

  • Rizzo A (2002) Virtual reality and disability: emergence and challenge. Disabil Rehabil 24(11–12):567–569

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robertson I, Richardson AM, Youngson SC (1984) Social skills training with mentally handicapped people: a review. Br J Clin Psychol 23:241–264

    Google Scholar 

  • Rostron A Sewell D (1984) Microtechnology and special education. Croom Helm, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Rutkowska JC, Crook C (1987) Computers, cognition and development. Wiley, Chichester

    Google Scholar 

  • Salem Darrow M (1995) Increasing research and development of virtual reality in education and special education: what about mental retardation? VR Schools 1(3):1–7

    Google Scholar 

  • Salem-Darrow M (1996) Virtual reality’s increasing potential for meeting needs of person with disabilities: what about cognitive impairments? In: Murphy HJ (ed) Proceedings of the third international conference on virtual reality and persons with disabilities. California State University Center on Disabilities, C A Northridge

  • Selman RL, Jaquette D (1977) Stability and oscillation in interpersonal awareness: a clinical-developmental analysis. In: Keasey CB (ed) Nebraska symposium on motivation, vol 25, pp 261–304

  • Shakespeare R (1975) The psychology of handicap. Methuen, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Sherman B (1992) Birth of a brave new world. Computers, pp 3–4

  • Shopland N, Lewis J, Brown DJ, Dattani-Pitt K (2004) Design and evaluation of a flexible travel training environment for use in a supported employment setting. In: Sharkey PM (ed) Proceedings of the fifth international conference on disability, virtual reality and associated technologies, pp 69–76

  • Sims D (1994) Multimedia camp empowers disabled kids. IEEE Comput Graph Appl 1:14–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slator BM, Juell P, McClean PE, Saini-Eidukat B, Schwert DP, White AR, Hill C (1999) Virtual environments for education at NDSU. World conference on educational media, hypermedia and telecommunications (ED-MEDIA 99), 19–24 June, Seattle, pp 875–880

  • Standen PJ, Cromby JJ, Brown DJ (1998) Playing for real. Ment Health Care 1:412–415

    Google Scholar 

  • Standen PJ, Brown DJ, Proctor T, Horan M (2002) How tutors assist adults with learning disabilities to use virtual environments. Disabil Rehabil 24(11–12):570–577

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Standen PJ, Brown DJ, Anderton N, Battersby S (2004) A systematic evaluation of problems with control devices experienced by people with intellectual disabilities using virtual environments. In: Sharkey PM (ed) Proceedings of the fifth international conference on disability, virtual reality and associated technologies, pp 299–304

  • Standen PJ, Brown DJ (2005) The use of virtual reality in the rehabilitation of people with intellectual disabilities. Cyberpsychol Behav 8(3):272–282

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Standen PJ, Ip WMD (2002) An evaluation of the use of virtual environments in improving choice reaction time in people with severe intellectual disabilities. In: Sharkey PM, Sik Lányi C, Standen PJ (eds) Proceedings of the fourth international conference on disability, virtual reality and associated technologies, pp 19–24

  • Standen PJ, Low HL (1996) Do virtual environments promote self-directed activity? A study of students with severe learning difficulties learning Makaton Sign language. In: Sharkey PM (ed) Proceedings of the First European conference on disability, virtual reality and associated technologies, Maidenhead, UK, pp 123–127

  • Stokes TF, Baer D (1977) An implicit technology of generalisation. J Appl Behav Anal 10:349–367

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tomlinson J (1997) Inclusive learning: the report of the committee of enquiry into the post-school education of those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities in England 1996. Eur J Spec Needs Edu 12(3):184–196

    Google Scholar 

  • Topping K (1992) Co-operative learning and peer tutoring: an overview. Psychologist 5:151–161

    Google Scholar 

  • Vygotsky LS (1978) Mind in society: the development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Ward J, Gow LP (1982) Programming generalisation: a central problem area in clinical psychology. Edu Psychol 2:231–248

    Google Scholar 

  • Whalley LJ (1993) Ethical issues in the application of virtual reality to the treatment of mental disorders. In: Earnshaw RA, Gigante MA, Jones H (eds) Virtual reality systems. Academic, London, pp 273–287

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitbeck C (1993) Virtual environments: ethical issues and significant confusions. Presence 2:147–152

    Google Scholar 

  • Wood D, Bruner JS, Ross G (1976) The role of tutoring in problem solving. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 17:89–100

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Rehabilitation and Ageing, School of Community Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, B Floor, Medical School, Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK

    P. J. Standen

  2. School of Computing and Informatics, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Campus, Clifton Lane, Nottingham, NG11 8NS, UK

    D. J. Brown

Authors
  1. P. J. Standen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D. J. Brown
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to P. J. Standen.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Standen, P.J., Brown, D.J. Virtual reality and its role in removing the barriers that turn cognitive impairments into intellectual disability. Virtual Reality 10, 241–252 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-006-0042-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-006-0042-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation