Effectiveness of information modality in virtual reality tutorials

Virtual reality can be the optimal trade-off between cost, safety, user experience and learning effectiveness in specific scenarios, like those involving security risks. However, subjects not trained on using virtual systems can have difficulties when using with the virtual environment, preventing them from properly using or understanding the interactions. Immersive tutorials can lower the entry barrier and help users get acquainted with the system, but the learning objectives and interaction methods can be diverse and require different information modalities for a proper understanding. We have conducted a study in which tutorials in a virtual reality system were conveyed with different combinations of text and video with the objective of quantifying the effectiveness of different information modalities. Participants were divided into 4 groups with different information modality combinations, in scenarios for learning how to proceed in radiation emergencies. Results indicate that text effectively conveys new and essential system concepts to users, particularly in systems designed to reinforce a specific concept; and video is more effective when visually demonstrating basic variations of previously learned actions. Additionally, it has been observed that information conveyed through videos promotes interactions with both hands interchangeably. The results can be applied to the design of better adapted tutorials in virtual reality.