Study of motivation and engagement for chemical laboratory safety training with VR serious game

Abstract

Safety training is a necessity and inherent part of any safety management system in high-risk industries, such as chemical industry. Often, training programs use conventional methods, such as classroom or video lectures. However, with these methods, trainees are passive and can quickly lose their attention, thus making the safety training ineffective. Alternatively, a virtual reality (VR) serious game can be used as a hands-on training tool to motivate and engage trainees. Relevant situations are simulated in a virtual environment where trainees can learn safety concepts and awareness without causing real harm to themselves or others. The current study investigates person-centred variables: motivation and engagement. We measured how safety motivation and engagement changed with employees of a chemical company when playing the VR LaboSafe Game after a traditional video lecture. Results show that employees have a high autonomous motivation to follow safety training, particularly in terms of identified regulation. Playing the VR serious game significantly increased intrinsic motivation and engagement of the trainees. They believe that they are more active, can keep their attention better and enjoy the experience of relevant situations in a virtual environment. However, complicated usability and the unfamiliarity to VR can affect their autonomous motivation for safety training. Older employees (above 50) have more difficulties with using VR headsets than younger employees (under 30). Data suggest to combine conventional methods with VR as complementary tool and provide more frequent and smaller sessions, gradually introducing VR technology to beginners.