Doctoral Colloquium—Investigating Preferred Design Elements by Autistic Individuals in an Immersive Learning Environment

Abstract

This doctoral colloquium paper aims to actively engage autistic individuals in the design process of an immersive learning environment (ILE), ensuring that the ILE aligns with their specific sensory needs and preferences. A Virtual Reality (VR) application is developed to collect feedback on the favored design elements of autistic individuals while performing learning tasks within an ILE. Autistic individuals with low support needs will be recruited for a user study to evaluate their preferences and experiences with the VR application. Prior to the user study, autism experts will assess the suitability of the application to ensure its adequacy for autistic users. Additionally, an immersive sensory room is designed to assist participants in self-regulating their sensory needs during the study, targeting their visual, auditory, and tactile senses. Through analysis of feedback from autistic individuals on the design elements, this research aims to develop a customizable ILE tailored to their specific sensory preferences. The findings of this study will contribute to the development of more inclusive and effective educational tools, emphasizing the importance of incorporating input from autistic individuals into the design process.