Towards Accessible Musical Performances in Virtual Reality: Designing a Conceptual Framework for Omnidirectional Audio Descriptions

Objectives Building on our systematic review and a broader review of the virtual reality (VR) literature, we propose a conceptual framework on different applications of VR for health professional education. Method VR, a fast-developing technology used in different fields, is increasingly employed in health professional education. In our recent systematic review on VR for health professional education, we encountered various methodological and conceptual challenges. Most importantly, there is a lack of relevant conceptual framework that would capture the diversity of VR applications in healthcare education and inform pertinent research in this area. We address the lack of conceptual clarity around VR usage by exploring how VR is applied in the area of health professional education. Results Focusing primarily on the type and scope of educational content, we see all VR content as being crudely categorised into VR focusing on space, individuals, objects, structure or their combination. We differentiate macro, meso and micro VR and examine how different VR features and health professional education areas match these three VR types. Macro VR consists of educational resources focusing on environment and human interaction. Meso VR comprises of educational content on the anatomy of the human body. Micro VR includes educational resources on miniscule objects including microscopic anatomical structures, tissues, cells, molecules and atoms. The available literature predominantly focuses on meso VR and anatomy training. Conclusions There is scope for further exploration on the application of macro and micro VR content, as well as a combination of all three, in health professional education, in particular for development of non-technical competencies in healthcare professionals.

Virtual Reality (VR)’s unprecedented ability to virtually transport the user is purported to be its biggest strength. Yet, despite postulations about VR’s benefits as a tourism marketing tool; the concept of presence, ubiquitous in ICT and cyberpsychology research on immersive technologies, remains nascent in tourism literature. More importantly, researchers in the field have called for empirical studies focused on the determinants as well as consequences of presence, particularly in commercial environments. Existing presence literature has shown that both determinants and consequences of presence are not transferrable across contexts. Understanding the interplay of presence determinants is vital for optimising the technology’s utilisation in different contexts, especially for budget and development focus considerations. A VR experience developed for education or training purposes would have differing impacts and emphasis when compared to a VR experience developed for tourism marketing purposes. Thus, the objective of this project was to investigate the effectiveness of VR as a tourism marketing tool, anchored through establishing a framework encompassing the determinants (immersion, ecological validity, engagement) and consequences of presence on emotional response – an association that has been suggested in cyberpsychology studies. Using a mixedmethod randomised within-subjects experiment, 72 participants experienced computergenerated, fully synthetic virtual environments of a cruise ship. The experiences were administered across pictures, video, and VR. This thesis is structured as a series of three papers. Paper 1 was a critical review aimed at establishing the presence-emotion-intention conceptual framework. Through reviewing VR and presence literature across disciplines, the paper uncovered gaps in previous presence research, compounded by the fragmented and evolving approach to exploring presence. Methodologically, paper 1 revealed the lack of qualitative approaches to presence and VR research, informing the mixed-methods approach of this thesis. The literature review also highlighted that whilst VR research in tourism is growing, researchers have called for future studies to focus specifically on presence determinants. Quantitative findings were presented through Paper 2. Findings from this paper suggest that VR is significantly more effective than traditional media in evoking positive emotional responses to the stimuli. Theoretical implications include suggestions that fully-interactive synthetic VR may be more effective than 360° VR due to the significance of engagement as a presence determinant. Managerial implications include suggestions to focus on engagement mechanics, rather than chasing photo-realistic VR advancements, for impact on emotional response. Paper 3 presented qualitative phase findings. 36 participants were interviewed after experiencing all three stimuli. In terms of triangulation, similar results were found – participants associated the engagement and immersion presence determinants with increases in their positive emotional response as well as intention to visit the cruise. However, several unexpected themes emerged – the sense of agency and goal congruence that users associated with the levels of engagement that VR provided. Participants felt that being in control to see what they wanted, how they wanted, and when they wanted, positively affected their emotional response toward the stimuli and corresponding behavioural intentions toward the cruise. Several participants also attributed a positive shift in perception of cruising to the presence levels from VR, suggesting that the influence of higher presence was amplified for marketing enclosed, all-inclusive tourism products such as cruising or resorts. Theoretically, paper 3 introduced the association between engagement and sense of agency as a key component to the effectiveness of VR for marketing; previously unexplored. The findings also suggested the incorporation of dimensions from cognitive appraisal theory such as goal congruence into the presence-emotion framework from papers 1 and 2. Methodologically, the thesis overall highlights the importance and value of mixed-methods in VR research; traditionally heavily focused only on quantitative approaches. Practically, this thesis emphasises the focus on engagement and level of agency that marketers introducing VR should provide potential travellers. Users should be given a sense that they are in control and involved as an active participant to the virtual experience. As a whole, this thesis established a top-to-bottom presence-emotion-intention framework; a platform for future theoretical exploration and practical applications of VR in tourism and marketing. More importantly, the framework and insights from the papers in this thesis provide avenues for future VR research in tourism to focus on comparing differences in VR platforms, instead of against traditional media.

Recent technological innovations have created new opportunities for the increased adoption of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) applications in medicine. While medical applications of VR have historically seen greater adoption from patient-as-user applications, the new era of VR/AR technology has created the conditions for wider adoption of clinician-as-user applications. Historically, adoption to clinical use has been limited in part by the ability of the technology to achieve a sufficient quality of experience. This article reviews the definitions of virtual and augmented reality and briefly covers the history of their development. Currently available options for consumer-level virtual and augmented reality systems are presented, along with a discussion of technical considerations for their adoption in the clinical environment. Finally, a brief review of the literature of medical VR/AR applications is presented prior to introducing a comprehensive conceptual framework for the viewing and manipulation of medical images in virtual and augmented reality. Using this framework, we outline considerations for placing these methods directly into a radiology-based workflow and show how it can be applied to a variety of clinical scenarios.

We define VR marketing as the application of virtual reality technology to any aspect of marketing. Throughout practice and literature, VR is employed to improve either or both the utility and experientiality of aspects of the marketing value chain.With the advent of the internet in the 1990s, marketing was revolutionized in terms of its information propagation efficiency. Today, pervasively across the entire value chain, marketing is facing yet another revolution: Virtual Reality (VR). While in the 1990s, the internet made marketing hugely efficient, and it reduced the experiential nature of marketing that exists, e.g., in bricks-and-mortar marketing. The potential of the current wave of virtual reality in marketing is seen to stem from combining the efficiency of digital platforms with the immersiveness, experientiality and multisensory nature of physical” marketing environments. However, while the narrative of the potential of VR in marketing may seem as intuitively appealing, there is still a lack of coherent understanding as to whether these benefits have been realized in VR marketing. Therefore, we firstly seek to define VR marketing, and secondly, to review the expanding literature related to it. In particular, we review in which areas of marketing VR has been researched, how it has been researched, which kinds of technologies have been used, and which theories this corpus of literature draws from and contributes to. Moreover, we review the effects of VR marketing on consumer experience and behavior that the extant literature has been able to tease out.Next, we examine VR marketing in four different marketing domains, namely marketing research, product innovation, advertising and retailing, which represent aspects of value determination, value creation, value communication and value delivery during the marketing value chain. Virtual reality marketing is used to improve both the utility and experientiality of aspects of the marketing value chain.Furthermore, we examine the trends of related theories in the relevant research, and find that virtual reality is viewed either as a kind of media that highlights products’ attributes and improves the consumer learning process or as a way to reshape shopping environments in the computer-based virtual world which can influence consumer affection. We can also realize that researchers have recently begun to integrate more values realized by VR marketing into their research frameworks. Based on this, we propose a generally conceptual framework for future VR marketing research.According to the current body of literature, virtual reality technology shows considerable promise for the areas of marketing. However, current research still lacks in-depth insights as to how virtual reality works in marketing, and which factors can influence its marketing success. Given these findings, we offer a detailed discussion of the future agenda for VR marketing research.

A user-centric design approach for smart product-service systems using virtual reality: A case study

Abstract: This study conducts a systematic review to investigate virtual reality's impact on purchase behavior, addressing a critical research gap. Following PRISMA guidelines, this study analyzed 113 scholarly articles from SCOPUS. Using “Antecedents – Consequences - Moderation” framework, the paper synthesizes existing knowledge to explore VR's applications across industries and consumer segments. The study finds that, VR significantly influences consumer purchase behavior, especially among young hedonic consumers. Factors like cost, convenience and VR quality impact VR adoption, while personalized entertainment enhances engagement and sales. The study presents a conceptual framework and outlines future research avenues, emphasizing VR's role in consumer’s preferences in brand. This systematic review has practical relevance. Marketers should consider VR to enhance brand engagement and influence consumer behavior. It is highly suggested to create engaging virtual reality (VR) content, customize it to align with audience preferences, and collaborate with VR specialists. Businesses may set themselves apart by creating captivating virtual experiences. The study emphasizes the substantial impact of virtual reality (VR) on customer behavior, underscoring the need of top-notch VR content and partnering with experts in VR marketing. Moreover, it highlights unexplored research prospects and offers practical insights for experts in the sector, underscoring the significant benefits of employing virtual reality technology.

Child abuse refers to any form of maltreatment, including physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect that occurs to children under 18 years of age. Digital games and virtual reality (VR) can be used as beneficial solutions for dealing with child maltreatment concerns. This study aimed to present a conceptual framework for showing the applications of these technologies in managing child abuse. The framework is developed in two stages: (1) a scoping review to gather digital games and VR applications for child abuse issues through the search in PubMed, Ovid (APA PsycInfo), Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and grey literature and (2) developing a conceptual framework based on the review results and validating it by 12 experts. The proposed conceptual framework shows that digital games and VR have been used for six main topics: (1) medical education, (2) prevention, (3) screening, (4) diagnosis, (5) treatment, and (6) forensic medicine in response to child abuse issues. Studies have more focused on child sexual abuse prevention, behavioral monitoring of sexual offenders in forensic medicine, and knowledge or performance assessment of students in medical education. Serious games (SGs), computer simulation, and immersive VR were common technologies for children, students, and forensic medicine, respectively. The experts believe the combination of immersive features of VR with SGs can further encourage user engagement. It appears that digital games and VR can play a positive role in child abuse management. Given the extensive capabilities of these technologies, further studies are needed to show all their potential applications for child abuse problems.

The objectives of this research are synthesis the conceptual framework of virtual telehealth game and develop a framework for virtual telehealth game. The research method has two phases: 1) Synthesis of the conceptual framework of virtual telehealth game. This is in three components: virtual technology telehealth and game for health. 2) Develop the conceptual framework of virtual telehealth game. The researcher found that the conceptual framework for virtual telehealth game consists of 4 components: 1) Objectives of Virtual Telehealth Game. 2) Targeted behavior of Virtual Telehealth Game. 3) Targeted health of Virtual Telehealth Game and 4) Evaluation of Virtual Telehealth Game.

This chapter aims to suggest a value co-creation framework by examining the prospects of employing augmented and virtual reality into the visitor experience at the popular heritage sites of New Delhi. It will also suggest that the vigorous application of augmented and virtual reality in the heritage sites can contribute to the value co-creation for the visitor’s pre-visit, on-site, and post-visit experience. It will propose a conceptual model framework based on value co-creation using the case-study approach at the heritage sites in Delhi. The findings suggest that the effective use of augmented and virtual reality in the heritage sites can contribute to the value co-creation of the visitor’s overall touristic experiences. It will also help the stakeholders to benefit from enhanced spending, intention to return, and positive word-of-mouth, while visitors take back a personalized, enlightening, unforgettable, and interactive experience. It will also help to discover novel ways to subsist the increasingly fierce tourism market competition using the latest technology at these sites through augmented and virtual reality. Although various studies have been done in value co-creation, this will be the first attempt to take a holistic approach using augmented and virtual reality from a value co-creation outlook.

Entertainment such as live music performances (live performances) and events are often held in urban centers for reasons such as transportation accessibility and venue size, resulting in regional disparities in entertainment. On the other hand, recent years have seen the emergence of virtual reality (VR)-based live performances, which could solve regional disparities in entertainment. VR live performances can provide many opportunities for people who are unable to attend live performances due to location and time constraints.However, the quality of the experience is expected to deteriorate due to the sense of realism and other sensations that are difficult to reproduce in Reality live performances. However, few studies have compared real-life live performances with VR live performances and examined the effects of factors such as the sense of presence on the audience. In this study, an experiment was conducted with the aim of constructing a system to support the improvement of the sense of presence in VR live music performances. In the experiment, we experienced an on-demand VR live performance and investigated the degree of realism and the differences from a real live performance. From the results, we analyzed the factors that are important for improving the realism of VR live performances. The system is then constructed and evaluated.Ten male participants (23.6±1.8 years old) who had participated in a live concert in the past and remembered the sensation were asked to experience a VR music concert in a standing position for 5 minutes, and a post-experience questionnaire was administered to compare the realism of the actual concert and the VR concert.The post-experience questionnaire consisted of a subjective questionnaire and open-ended questions regarding the sense of presence and the five senses. The subjective questionnaire used a 5-point Likert scale. The items related to the sense of presence consisted of 13 items, which were added by the researcher based on previous studies that have analyzed the sense of presence. 3 was used as the standard for the 5-point scale, based on the comparison with previous real-live experiences. The higher the value, the higher the evaluation of each element in the VR experience.According to the results of the post-experience questionnaire, the vibration and communication elements were rated low. The VR live experience and its components in this experiment did not reproduce the vibrations from the large speakers and communication with other people, such as the performers and the surrounding audience, that are felt in a real live performance. Therefore, the experience tended to feel like a one-way live performance, and the quality of the experience was considered to be compromised. In addition, factor analysis of the questionnaire results showed that among the body perception factors with the highest contribution rate, the values of dynamism, vibration, and sense of self-presence were the most significant, and thus had a large impact on the sense of presence in the live performance.

Virtual reality (VR) technologies, as new forms of planning support systems (PSSs), are becoming increasingly vital to planning. However, there is a lack of empirical research on factors influencing VR’s supportive role from a user perspective, thus producing barriers to VR’s advancement in planning practices. This neglect motivates the focus of this study, in which we adapt relevant PSS theory to build a conceptual framework that examines factors influencing VR performance in an experience-based environment. Empirical data are gathered predominantly through students’ experiences with and evaluation of the “Viewing the Western Hills at Yinding Bridge” ( Yinding Guanshan) VR Project—a VR system developed to optimize the view corridor of Beijing’s Western Hills. The results show large variability in factors influencing VR performance. In general, the effects of six factors are significant, including 3D visualization, simulating real-world scenes, user-friendliness, interactivity, inspiring participants’ enthusiasm, and inspiring creative thinking. These factors are attributed to the functionality, usability and innovativeness dimensions of VR systems. This study concludes that to realize the supportive and useful role of VR in planning, at minimum, these six factors should be explicitly taken into account.

Virtual reality applications turn abstract concepts into experienceable phenomena and present exciting opportunities to transform science education and public outreach practices. While research has started to look into the affordances of virtual reality (VR) in the formal science education context, the potential of these technologies to enhance public engagement with science is largely unexplored. To improve the way that VR may be used in informal learning and public outreach contexts, the purpose of our study was to undertake evidence-based investigations that shed light onto the relationship between VR and public engagement. Aiming to identify and develop the benefits of VR technologies, we propose a conceptual framework for engagement with VR at a science festival that comprises four aspects of participant activity: immersion, facilitation, collaboration, and visualisation. This framework guided the research design of our exploratory case study of one VR tour at a science festival. Data included visitor surveys, video recordings, VR screen captures, and focus group interviews with outreach and science professionals. Our findings reveal important ways that VR supports visitor engagement at a science festival. More generally, these findings and our framework contribute to the ongoing efforts of engaging the public with science in more diverse informal learning contexts.

Purpose: This study investigates the transformative role of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies in e-commerce and digital marketing. It aims to understand how these immersive technologies enhance consumer experiences by addressing challenges such as product visualization, consumer trust, and engagement while fostering higher purchase intent and customer satisfaction. Design/Method/Approach: A systematic literature review synthesizes findings from empirical and theoretical studies published between 2011 and 2024. The methodologies analyzed include experimental designs, market analyses, and conceptual frameworks assessing the integration of AR and VR technologies in online retail. Findings: The findings indicate that AR enhances online shopping through features such as virtual try-ons and spatial placement visualization, reducing return rates and increasing purchase confidence. VR, on the other hand, provides immersive environments that simulate physical shopping experiences, strengthening consumer-brand connections. While AR demonstrates broader applicability in fostering interactive and personalized experiences, VR remains limited by accessibility and cost constraints. Both technologies exhibit immediate costs but offer long-term benefits, positively influencing conversion rates and customer loyalty. Theoretical Implications: This study contributes to consumer behavior research by applying value perception models, immersive technology frameworks, and engagement metrics to the e-commerce landscape. It refines existing theoretical perspectives on technological adoption by highlighting the interplay between sensory engagement, emotional connection, and consumer decision-making. Practical Implications: The research underscores the strategic importance of integrating AR and VR into digital marketing and e-commerce platforms. It suggests leveraging AR for product categories requiring spatial interaction and using VR for high-detail product exploration. The study provides actionable insights for businesses looking to enhance online shopping experiences through immersive technologies. Originality/Value: This study offers a comprehensive synthesis of AR and VR applications in e-commerce, highlighting their potential to reshape online shopping. By bridging the gap between physical and digital retail experiences, it provides a fresh perspective on how immersive technologies can drive engagement, accessibility, and personalized consumer interactions. Research Limitations/Future Research: While this study synthesizes existing literature, empirical validation through longitudinal studies and cross-industry applications is necessary. Future research should explore the long-term effects of AR and VR adoption on consumer trust, loyalty, and behavioral changes. Additionally, further exploration is encouraged into gamification, artificial intelligence (AI) integration, and demographic-specific implementations to drive sustainable engagement.

Our study aims to investigate the effects of Virtual Reality (VR) on donation of time and money in the context of second chance tourism. We build on prior research investigating hypothetical charitable-donation intention. Hereby, we follow the call for future research to examine the practical effects of VR on money and time donation by means of investigating intendent and actual charitable giving contributions. In addition, we follow recent calls for research introducing the concept of second chance tourism for investigation by means of immersive technologies such as VR. Second chance tourism is conceptualized as second ‘life’ to destroyed or deteriorated destinations, attractions, sites or artefacts. In our research, we apply the concept of second chance tourism to the case of Notre Dame, damaged by a fire on the 15th of April 2019. In summary, the main research question we aim to answer is if the application of VR can serve as effective marketing tool for second chance tourism by actually increasing time and money donations for destroyed or deteriorated destinations. As conceptual framework, we use the S(stimuli)-O(organism)-R(response) framework in line with recent literature on VR in marketing and tourism research. We conceptualize the VR experience as the starting point of a process that leads to emotional and cognitive internalization and consequently to behavior in the form of time or money donation in the context of second chance tourism. We build our research along two empirical studies using lab-based VR experiments to investigate if the application of VR can serve as effective marketing tool for second chance tourism. Our study adds to the marketing and revitalization of deteriorated tourism attraction displaying a critical issue for tourism worldwide. By drawing on the case of Notre Dame, we conduct research that reflects a contemporary case of second chance tourism that is of theoretical as well practical relevance.

This study presents a novel conceptual framework to understand the adoption of Virtual Reality (VR) by the tourism industry. Using Diffusion of Innovation (DoI), Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) as guiding theories, the proposed framework is structured across four key stages: Drivers, Intermediaries, Lived Experiences, and Responses. At the Drivers Stage, bottom-line foundational factors, such as Technological Innovativeness, Quality Content (QC), and Cultural Compatibility (CC), are suggested in order for the VR to be embraced and adopted effectively. At the Intermediaries Stage, Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU), Perceived Usefulness (PU), Effort Expectancy (EF), Environmental Condition (EC), and Facilitating Conditions (FC) are suggested to further elevate the lived experience. The interplay of experiential and socio-cultural factors suggested as moderators strengthens the VR learning outcomes of the individuals. The Lived Experience stage captures the true interaction of the users with VR technologies in order to understand how experiencing VR technologies can influence user perception. Finally, the Responses Stage represents the VR adoption outcomes via user Behavioural Changes (BC), Willingness to Sacrifice (WS), and Destination Loyalty (DL). These experiential outcomes additionally suggest the application of VR technologies as an alternative to conventional tourism activities. Overall, the proposed VR tourism framework serves as a guiding roadmap by offering strategic insights coupled with working mechanisms for key tourism industry stakeholders such as tour operators, tourists, and tourism authorities. Particularly, the framework offers how VR-enabled trends and innovations can augment tourist experience and reshape the overall tourism industry, particularly in developing economies.