A Preliminary Cyber-Physical Study of a VR Training Material for Engineering Students to Give a Presentation in English

Due to the rapid globalization of engineering fields and studies, engineering students are required to present their research in English at an international level. However, many engineering students feel anxiety for speaking in English; thus, proper training is necessary for them by providing a simulated conference environment. In this study, the authors develop a prototype of virtual reality (VR) training material for engineering students to practice and experience difficult communication situations in English at an international conference. The effects of the material were investigated by measuring the changes in the hemoglobin (Hb) concentration of the frontal cortex and heart rates of subjects who participated in the VR training and evaluation sessions with an English conversation trainer. The physiological data measurements obtained from the subjects before and after the VR training showed that they were more relaxed when responding to difficult English questions at a mocked question-and-answer (Q&A) session after the training. The result indicates that the VR training material can reduce the anxiety of engineering students who need to give a presentation in English, and this type of learning material is expected to be effectively used from an educational standpoint.