Seated VR French Workshop for Seniors

Published in 2025 in the Journal of Medical Extended Reality, this pilot study was conducted in Spain (Badalona healthcare system) and involved older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), alongside healthcare professionals in clinical settings. The study found that VR-based interventions showed high usability, strong engagement, and positive user acceptance, with participants expressing interest in continued use. It also demonstrated improvements in attention and processing speed, supporting VR as a practical tool for cognitive stimulation and rehabilitation (Ferrer Costa et al., 2025).

The findings highlight VR’s ability to deliver immersive, engaging, and adaptable experiences that improve motivation and participation, while being feasible to implement in real-world care environments.

Published in 2024 by researchers at Cornell University, this study is based in a U.S. research and clinical context involving older adults aged 65+ with mild cognitive impairment, alongside peer volunteers and healthcare researchers. The project explores how immersive VR environments can improve social engagement, reduce loneliness, and enhance cognitive functioning through interactive experiences and human connection (Cornell Human Ecology, 2024).

The study highlights that VR enables users to feel present with others, breaking physical and social barriers, and shows that interactive activities and conversations within VR environments can improve mood, engagement, and cognitive stimulation.

In alignment with these findings, SchoolPulse™ is designed to combine real-time AI interaction with human-to-human engagement, ensuring that learners not only interact with technology but also experience meaningful communication within guided group settings.

Published in 2025 in Applied Sciences (MDPI), this systematic literature review was conducted by researchers from Malaysia and Indonesia, analysing 12 selected studies (from an initial pool of 1705 articles) focused on older adults using VR-based interventions. Using the PRISMA methodology, the study found that VR significantly improves exercise motivation, cognitive function, and social engagement, while immersive environments and real-time feedback support both mental and physical health (Song et al., 2025).

The review also highlights that social interaction within VR environments helps reduce loneliness, while interactive and immersive activities enhance long-term engagement and participation — key factors for community-based and senior-focused programs.

In alignment with these findings, SchoolPulse™ combines interactive VR experiences, real-time AI feedback, and human-guided group facilitation, supporting not only communication but also engagement, well-being, and social interaction in structured workshop settings.

Published in 2025 in the International Journal of Information and Education Technology, this study was conducted in an academic setting with approximately 20 language learners comparing traditional learning methods with AR/VR-based instruction. Using surveys and performance-based evaluation, the study found that 90% of participants reported substantial or considerable improvement in fluency using AR/VR, while traditional methods showed limited impact on spontaneous speaking ability (International Journal of Information and Education Technology, 2025).

The findings also showed that real-time feedback, simulated scenarios, and interactive environments significantly improved confidence and professional communication skills, with most learners rating VR experiences as highly effective compared to traditional approaches.

In alignment with these findings, SchoolPulse™ integrates real-time AI feedback with structured human-guided interaction, ensuring learners benefit from both adaptive technology and guided communication practice in immersive environments.

Published in 2026 on ScienceDirect, this qualitative case study was conducted in Malaysia and involved 15 secondary school ESL learners participating in an 8-week VR-based communication program using the ImmerseMe platform. Data collected through observations, interviews, and reflective journals showed that VR significantly improved motivation, confidence, and verbal participation, while enabling more authentic, real-world communication practice (Virtual reality for verbal communication development in English as second language learning: Advantages and optimisation strategies, 2026).

The study identified four key drivers — engagement, immersion, customized experience, and accessibility — supported by features such as real-time feedback, interactive scenarios, and personalised learning pathways, all contributing to improved speaking outcomes.

Published in 2025 by Robert Godwin-Jones (Virginia Commonwealth University), this work presents a conceptual analysis of how artificial intelligence and virtual reality are converging to transform language learning. The study is based in a global higher-education and research context, involving language learners, educators, and digital learning environments. It highlights that integrating multimodal AI into VR enables immersive, adaptive, and free-form communication, moving beyond scripted interactions and allowing learners to engage in more natural, personalised conversations (Godwin-Jones, 2025).

The paper emphasizes that AI-enhanced VR supports both informal learning (conversations, simulations, games) and structured learning through adaptive guidance, creating a continuous, immersive communication environment.

In alignment with this direction, SchoolPulse™ is designed to balance AI-driven interaction with guided human facilitation, combining real-time conversational feedback with structured, group-based workshop experiences to support both engagement and learning outcomes.