Virtual Training Environment for Gas Operatives: System Usability and Sense of Presence Evaluation
Ikram Asghar, Oche Alexander Egaji, Luke Dando, Mark Griffiths, Phil Jenkins · Electronic workshops in computing · 2021
Training of gas operators in real-life settings often has associated risks to health and property. The use of a virtual environment to train gas operators has the potential to offer risk-free training. This study tests the usability of a virtual environment specifically designed to teach new gas operatives in near real-life scenarios. Thirty-two participants tested the virtual environment and performed different tasks required to complete gas safety checks. We used SUS (System Usability Scale) and sense of presence questionnaires to collect data from these participants. The SUS analysis indicated that most participants belonging to a different gender, age, and virtual reality experience groups were comfortable in the VR training environment. The sense of presence data analysis also confirmed similar results as all sense of presence factors scored high regardless of the demographics characteristics of the participants. However, there is still a need to add different scenarios to make the virtual environment into a comprehensive training course.