Several studies have evaluated the distribution of visuo-spatial attention in a wayfinding task, using gaze direction as an indicator for the locus of attention. We extended that work by evaluating how visuo-spatial attention is modified by wayfinding practice. Young and older participants followed prescribed routes through a virtual city on six trials. Each trial was followed by a route recall test, where participants saw screenshots of intersections encountered, and had to indicate which way to proceed. Behavioral and gaze data were registered in those tests. Wayfinding accuracy increased from trial to trial, more so in young than in older persons. Total gaze time, mean fixation time, and the vertical scatter of fixations decreased from trial to trial, similarly in young and older persons. The horizontal scatter of fixations did not differ between trials and age groups. The incidence of fixations on the subsequently chosen side also did not differ between trials, but it increased in older age. We interpret these findings as evidence that as wayfinding practice increased, participants gradually narrowed their attentional focus to the most relevant screenshot area, processed information within this focus more efficiently, reduced the total time in which attention dwelled on the rejected side of the screenshot, but maintained the total time on the chosen side. These dynamic changes of visuo-spatial attention were comparable in young and older participants. However, it appears that decision-making differed between age groups: older persons’ attention dwelled longer on the chosen side before they made their choice.

The learning process in humans is reinforced with feedback on actions. In sports, feedback plays an important role in optimizing motion techniques. Athletes can learn and internalize correct motion executions in order to improve their performance. The most widely used feedback method in sports is response advice by experts (coaches). Meanwhile, technical devices are useful for promoting motor learning. With the help of extended reality, such as virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality, it is possible to receive visual feedback through (head-mounted) displays during motion execution for real-time corrections in motor learning. The use of extended reality real-time feedback is becoming increasingly common in many application fields of motor learning. So far, forms of real-time feedback have mainly been used in the health and medical sector. In sports, the increasing exploration of real-time feedback could provide a useful supplement to conventional feedback methods. Real-time feedback using extended reality could enable a better self-motion perception and faster learning success, consequently, having a positive effect on the performance development of athletes. This article summarizes the current use of real-time feedback ( Prior application of real-time XR feedback in various research fields section), presents the useful addition of extended reality real-time feedback to common feedback methods in sports ( Framework of the addition of real-time XR feedback in sports section), and recommends a possible integration of real-time feedback in sports training with the help of a model ( Concept development section). Overall, the benefits of using extended reality technologies are presented, and a human-system-interaction in sports is proposed.

Testing and application of suitable learning tools and methods can facilitate learning environments conducive to skill acquisition for the target group. This also applies to sports education at school level, including extracurricular activities. On the one hand, traditional learning methods are still effective in sports education; on the other hand, keeping up with societal and technological developments, new learning strategies are continuously being researched to complement existing pedagogical tools. An innovative tool that has been increasingly used in various fields of application in recent years is Virtual Reality (VR) as part of the Extended Reality (XR) domain. It enables learning in immersive and specifically designed learning environments and is particularly suitable for learning in (sports-)motor contexts due to its flexible use. In our study, we test a VR-based rotation task in an extracurricular dance class with the objective of supporting the crucial didactic, collaborative, and perceptual components of dance training in educational contexts. We conducted feedback sessions with the students and used direct observation to examine their behavioural actions. Based on the qualitative content analysis of the written feedback and the overview from the observations, we can identify integrative potentials of this innovative tool in sports education, especially extracurricular dance classes.

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