Procedural Learning through Action Observation: Preliminary Evidence from Virtual Gardening Activity in Intellectual Disability

Abstract

Intellectual disability (ID) compromises intellectual and adaptive functioning. People with an ID show difficulty with procedural skills, with loss of autonomy in daily life. From an embodiment perspective, observation of action promotes motor skill learning. Among promising technologies, virtual reality (VR) offers the possibility of engaging the sensorimotor system, thus, improving cognitive functions and adaptive capacities. Indeed, VR can be used as sensorimotor feedback, which enhances procedural learning. In the present study, fourteen subjects with an ID underwent progressive steps training combined with VR aimed at learning gardening procedures. All participants were trained twice a week for fourteen weeks (total 28 sessions). Participants were first recorded while sowing zucchini, then they were asked to observe a virtual video which showed the correct procedure. Next, they were presented with their previous recordings, and they were asked to pay attention and to comment on the errors made. At the end of the treatment, the results showed that all participants were able to correctly garden in a real environment. Interestingly, action observation facilitated, not only procedural skills, but also specific cognitive abilities. This evidence emphasizes, for the first time, that action observation combined with VR improves procedural learning in ID.

The use of virtual reality and augmented reality in psychosocial rehabilitation for adults with neurodevelopmental disorders: A systematic review

“…One study used VR to train community-dwelling adults how to wire an electrical outlet in their vocational assistance center or at home ( 33 ), while another study used AR as a task prompting system to aid job coaches in training food preparation for community-based supported employment service users with ID ( 7 ). Lastly, semi-immersive VR scenarios were used to teach adults with ID in a residential home the work task of sowing zucchini seeds ( 31 ). These three studies reported that participants were able to learn the specific tasks well, although no validated measurements were used ( 7 , 31 , 33 ).…”

“…Lastly, semi-immersive VR scenarios were used to teach adults with ID in a residential home the work task of sowing zucchini seeds ( 31 ). These three studies reported that participants were able to learn the specific tasks well, although no validated measurements were used ( 7 , 31 , 33 ).…”

The Use of Mixed, Augmented and Virtual Reality in History of Art Teaching: A Case Study

“…Despite this limited space, our work process was analogous to others in terms of where open VR environments were constructed. An example of this is the interactive mapping approach to explore open urban landscapes by Edler et al [86] or the work of Giachero et al [87] on virtual gardening and intellectual disability.…”