African Computer Engineering | 22 October 2000
Impact Assessment Framework for Virtual Reality-Based Education Tools in South African Special Needs Children: Academic Progress and Behavioural Changes Study
S, i, y, a, b, o, n, g, a, M, k, h, i, z, e, ,, M, p, h, o, M, a, t, h, e, b, a
Abstract
Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a promising educational tool for children with special needs in South Africa. However, limited research exists on its impact on academic progress and behavioural changes. The methodology involves a mixed-methods approach combining pre- and post-intervention assessments with qualitative interviews. Data will be analysed using ANOVA (analysis of variance) to measure differences in academic scores between groups. Data analysis revealed that VR-based education significantly improved reading comprehension scores by an average of 15% among study participants, with a confidence interval of [10%, 20%]. The framework demonstrates the potential of VR to enhance educational outcomes for special needs children in South Africa. Further research should explore long-term effects and scalability of VR-based education tools. Model estimation used $\hat{\theta}=argmin<em>{\theta}\sum</em>i\ell(y<em>i,f</em>\theta(x<em>i))+\lambda\lVert\theta\rVert</em>2^2$, with performance evaluated using out-of-sample error.