UEL

Ethnoacting in VR: DIY Soft Skills Development

Ethnoacting in VR: DIY Soft Skills (Trade mark number: UK00004133854 dated 06/12/2024) is an innovative intervention inviting participants to engage in ethnoacting. This means they repeat real-life testimonies while listening to them through headphones, fully immersed in a tailored virtual reality (VR) environment. The VR setting is designed to replicate the world of the testimony, enhancing focus, the sense of presence and empathy. By applying modelling theories from psychology, this project explores how VR can help several social groups or professionals build essential soft skills that support their wellbeing. Tailored survey research assesses the impact and benefits for these groups. The core team includes expertise in acting (Evi Stamatiou, Principal Investigator), VR experimentation (Oluwatosin Sanni, Co-Investigator), and psychology (Volker Thoma, Co-Investigator). The project has already expanded into nursing (Georgina Cox, Co-Investigator) and youth development (in partnership with the Youth Empowerment Zone at Newham Council), with discussions setting the ground for applications on self-advocacy for people with disabilities (in partnership with the RIX Centre), and compassion in law professionals, reflecting its broad potential impact.

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