Extended Reality Vocational Training for Hearing Impaired

The Efficacy of Extended Reality-Based Virtual Training for Enhancing Vocational Skills Among the Hearing Impaired: A Study on Boosting Employability

This study examines the efficacy of an interactive, extended reality (XR)-based virtual training environment-specifically utilizing 360-degree virtual reality (360-VR) interactive simulations-against conventional vocational experiential methods. The primary objective is to evaluate whether integrating synchronized visual scaffolding, which combines localized Saudi Sign Language (SSL) video loops with concise written text hotspots, can systematically enhance practical vocational competencies (such as housekeeping setup sequences and culinary safety) among deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students. Additionally, the trial investigates the longitudinal impact of this immersive media intervention on fostering professional self-efficacy and expanding overall employability.

This behavioral intervention trial utilizes a structured two-group, pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design to maintain intact classroom ecological validity within certified Al-Amal Secondary Schools for the Deaf in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Participants (N = 48 DHH students) are selected based on strict inclusionary parameters (bilateral sensorineural hearing loss exceeding 70 dB, fluency in Saudi Sign Language, and absence of secondary cognitive or motor comorbidities) and are clustered via a matched-pair framework into two balanced cohorts. The experimental arm (n = 24) receives an immersive 6-week intervention consisting of two 20-minute individual sessions per week (12 sessions total) delivered via pass-through or standalone VR head-mounted displays. The …

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Chronological age formally documented between 17.0 and 20.0 years old.
2. Documented medical diagnosis of profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss exceeding 70 dB, verified by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties.
3. Fluency in Saudi Sign Language (SSL) as the primary linguistic modality.
4. Formally enrolled in the senior vocational track under the Saudi special education framework at Al-Amal secondary schools.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Co-occurring neurodevelopmental or cognitive conditions (e.g., intellectual disabilities or profound Autism Spectrum Disorder).
2. Medical history of photosensitive epilepsy, severe visual comorbidities, or chronic vestibulo-ocular reflex disorders.
3. Absence of basic functional Arabic text reading comprehension.