The Relationship Between Learner Preference and Social Skill Acquisition: Interventions Delivered Through Virtual Technology

Social competence is necessary for students to interact and attain academic success (Merrill et al., 2017). Yet, educators report feeling inadequate in providing social skill instruction to students (Dobbins et al., 2010). Virtual reality (VR) has the potential to provide this instruction in a systematic manner. However, there is limited research on the application of VR to improve SS for students (Kim et al., 2012; Rajendran, 2013). This mixed-methods study sought to determine the preferences of students receiving VR intervention and the effect of user preference on social skill acquisition. The results that emerge from comparing the exploratory qualitative data with outcome expressive communication (EC) data are discussed. We conclude with recommendations for researchers and practitioners implementing social skill interventions