How Immersive Virtual Reality Safety Training System Features Impact Learning Outcomes: An Experimental Study of Forklift Training

Abstract

Immersive virtual reality (VR)-based training has been widely proposed in different firms to improve the hazard recognition skills of their workforce and change their unsafe behavior. However, little is known about the impact of VR-based training on the user's behavior and learning. With the use of structural equation modeling (SEM), this study investigated the impact of VR-based training on 60 participants, and the results supported the mediating effect of VR system features on the users' acquisition of knowledge, behavioral intention, and satisfaction. The results also indicated that the VR system features were a significant antecedent to psychological factors (presence, motivation, enjoyment, and self-efficacy). This suggests that there are two general paths: (1) usability and fidelity (UF)-enjoyment (EJ)-behavioral intention (BI); and (2) UF-EJ-satisfaction (ST), by which VR-based safety training can have a positive impact on the users' behavior. This study also revealed that the higher level of presence in the VR training environment would not exert a strong influence on users' behavior. The findings of this study could help to better design VR-based training programs in a cost-effective way and thus could maximize the benefits of VR technology for industry.