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Virtual Worlds
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Applying Virtual Worlds Knowledge: Methods, Evaluation, and Effective Transfer of...
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Applying Virtual Worlds Knowledge: Methods, Evaluation, and Effective Transfer of Knowledge into Practice

A special issue of Virtual Worlds (ISSN 2813-2084).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 4243

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Jan-Niklas Voigt-Antons

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Immersive Reality Lab, Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences, 59063 Hamm, Germany
Interests: immersive media (XR/VR/AR); human–machine interaction; user experience & usability; interaction design
Dr. Tanja Kojic

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Quality and Usability Lab, Technische Universität Berlin, D-10587 Berlin, Germany
Interests: immersive media; human–computer interaction; user experience; virtual reality

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue explores how digitalization knowledge, especially in the context of immersive media such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality, can be effectively transferred and its impact evaluated across academia, industry, and society, with a focus on applications relevant to virtual worlds. Effective knowledge transfer is crucial for enabling the broader adoption and meaningful use of immersive technologies across different domains. The scope extends beyond empirical studies to include methodological approaches, evaluation frameworks, and conceptual contributions that address the diverse ways in which digitalization competences are communicated and embedded in practice.

We welcome papers on the design, implementation, and assessment of transfer activities and events, strategies for engaging different stakeholder groups—including industry representatives, students, policy and governmental actors, and other societal stakeholders—and reflections on indicators and methodologies for measuring transfer effectiveness in both virtual and real-world contexts.

By combining theoretical insights, methodological innovations, and applied case studies, this Special Issue aims to advance our understanding of how immersive media-related digitalization knowledge can be effectively transferred, applied, and sustained, supporting interactive and engaging experiences that enhance learning, innovation, and societal impact.

Prof. Dr. Jan-Niklas Voigt-Antons
Dr. Tanja Kojic
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Virtual Worlds is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • knowledge transfer
  • technology transfer
  • digitalization
  • virtual reality
  • augmented reality
  • third mission
  • evaluation
  • methods
  • higher education
  • stakeholder engagement

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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25 pages, 3224 KB  
Article
A Workflow-Driven VR Simulation for Esports Event Production: Design and Interaction Mechanisms
by Pakinee Ariya, Perasuk Worragin, Kannikar Intawong, Songpon Khanchai and Kitti Puritat
Virtual Worlds 2026, 5(2), 28; https://doi.org/10.3390/virtualworlds5020028 - 10 Jun 2026
Viewed by 70
Abstract
This paper presents a workflow-driven VR simulation system for esports event production, designed to enable interaction with core production subsystems, including lighting control, audio management, and broadcast monitoring, within a task-based virtual environment that integrates spatial fidelity, workflow structure, and real-time feedback. A [...] Read more.
This paper presents a workflow-driven VR simulation system for esports event production, designed to enable interaction with core production subsystems, including lighting control, audio management, and broadcast monitoring, within a task-based virtual environment that integrates spatial fidelity, workflow structure, and real-time feedback. A controlled pretest–posttest experiment with 80 undergraduate participants was conducted to evaluate the system in comparison with lecture-based instruction. The results indicate that while both approaches produced comparable gains in conceptual knowledge, the VR-based simulation led to significantly greater improvements in applied operational understanding and higher levels of user engagement. Interaction analytics further show that increased task complexity is associated with higher interaction frequency and lower completion rates, reflecting a trade-off between interaction fidelity and usability. These findings suggest that the effectiveness of VR-based simulation lies in its capacity to support scenario-based operational reasoning rather than conceptual learning alone, contributing to the design of virtual environments for complex workflow-based training. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applying Virtual Worlds Knowledge: Methods, Evaluation, and Effective Transfer of Knowledge into Practice)
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28 pages, 5256 KB  
Article
A Serious Game for Upper Limb Rehabilitation Implementing a Custom Vibrotactile Wireless Wearable Device and Leap Motion
by Estrella Rubi Sánchez-Nava, Monserrat Ríos-Hernández, Juan Manuel Jacinto-Villegas, Otniel Portillo-Rodríguez and Adriana Herlinda Vilchis-González
Virtual Worlds 2026, 5(2), 25; https://doi.org/10.3390/virtualworlds5020025 - 26 May 2026
Viewed by 302
Abstract
Over the past decade, serious games and virtual reality have gained increasing relevance in upper-limb rehabilitation, yet desktop virtual reality solutions often suffer from reduced spatial correspondence and limited sensory feedback. This work presents the design and preliminary evaluation of a desktop virtual [...] Read more.
Over the past decade, serious games and virtual reality have gained increasing relevance in upper-limb rehabilitation, yet desktop virtual reality solutions often suffer from reduced spatial correspondence and limited sensory feedback. This work presents the design and preliminary evaluation of a desktop virtual reality-based serious game that combines Leap Motion Controller hand tracking with a custom wireless vibrotactile wearable device to support upper-limb rehabilitation training. Three training scenarios were implemented to target pronation/supination, pinch grip, ulnar/radial deviation, and wrist, elbow, and finger flexion/extension. Usability (System Usability Scale, SUS), user experience (short AttrakDiff), and perceived workload (Raw NASA-TLX), together with functionality and perception questionnaires, were collected from healthy participants randomly assigned to two groups (Group 1: n=13, LMC only; Group 2: n=9, LMC plus wearable). Across all instruments, the configuration including the wearable device tended to obtain higher usability ratings, more desirable pragmatic and hedonic quality scores, and lower overall workload means than the LMC-only configuration, with moderate effect sizes but limited statistical power due to the small samples. Participants in the wearable condition also reported clearer feedback, a perceived improvement in movement precision, and a stronger perceived alignment between real and virtual actions. These findings suggest that the proposed system may serve as a promising user-centered prototype for desktop VR-based upper-limb rehabilitation and provide preliminary design evidence to support future clinical and kinematic validation studies with larger cohorts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applying Virtual Worlds Knowledge: Methods, Evaluation, and Effective Transfer of Knowledge into Practice)
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29 pages, 1540 KB  
Article
A Modular Questionnaire for Target-Group-Specific Evaluation of Event Formats: Developed in the Context of Virtual Worlds Knowledge Transfer
by Sina Hinzmann, Anne-Kathrin Bestgen, Julia Schorlemmer, Constanze Beierlein, Jörg Kolbe and Jan-Niklas Voigt-Antons
Virtual Worlds 2026, 5(1), 10; https://doi.org/10.3390/virtualworlds5010010 - 9 Feb 2026
Viewed by 844
Abstract
This paper presents a modular evaluation questionnaire designed to assess Knowledge and Technology Transfer (KT) events in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). KT is central to the HEI’s third mission, contributing to societal and economic progress. This mandate is critically highlighted by the need [...] Read more.
This paper presents a modular evaluation questionnaire designed to assess Knowledge and Technology Transfer (KT) events in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). KT is central to the HEI’s third mission, contributing to societal and economic progress. This mandate is critically highlighted by the need to disseminate digitalization competencies in rapidly evolving fields, notably immersive technologies—including Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR)—which are foundational for virtual worlds. Traditionally, transfer success relies on overall outcome indicators (patents, collaborations), which fail to capture the immediate impact of individual transfer events. Our questionnaire addresses this gap by evaluating event-level success and its alignment with the target groups: companies, citizens, and students. Developed via expert workshops in the context of virtual worlds, the tool’s modular design supports flexible adaptation and broad applicability across different event types. It captures participant reactions, knowledge acquisition, and behavioral intentions, along with process items. This provides immediate, actionable insights into event success, enabling HEIs to optimize resource allocation and make informed adjustments tailored to audience needs. Future studies should validate the questionnaire’s psychometric properties and assess long-term effects. Ultimately, this tool strengthens the capacity of HEIs to optimize transfer activities and cultivate stronger partnerships. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applying Virtual Worlds Knowledge: Methods, Evaluation, and Effective Transfer of Knowledge into Practice)
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27 pages, 2932 KB  
Article
Design Principles for Work-Integrated Safety Training (WIST) in Gamified Immersive Learning Environments
by Jesse Katende, Amir Haj-Bolouri, Stefan Nilsson, Lu Cao and Matti Rossi
Virtual Worlds 2026, 5(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/virtualworlds5010005 - 21 Jan 2026
Viewed by 1305
Abstract
Immersive virtual reality is increasingly used for safety training, yet many initiatives remain technology-led pilots that enhance scenario realism and engagement without explaining how training becomes embedded in everyday work (e.g., alignment with SOPs, assessment routines, scheduling, and accountable debrief practices) or how [...] Read more.
Immersive virtual reality is increasingly used for safety training, yet many initiatives remain technology-led pilots that enhance scenario realism and engagement without explaining how training becomes embedded in everyday work (e.g., alignment with SOPs, assessment routines, scheduling, and accountable debrief practices) or how skills reliably transfer back to duty. This paper addresses that gap by introducing Work-Integrated Safety Training (WIST) as a socio-technical training approach that couples IVR-based immersion with work-integrated routines to develop competence in safety-critical, passenger-facing work. Using Action Design Research (ADR) with Sweden’s national rail operator (SJ), we iteratively designed and evaluated a gamified immersive prototype for onboard conflict management, drawing on interviews, incident reports, co-design workshops, and in situ evaluations. We formalize four transferable design principles—specified with mechanisms and boundary conditions that guide how immersive training can (i) scaffold composure before intervention, (ii) make dynamic risk legible through interpretable cues, (iii) support SOP-aligned adaptive communication with replay-based reflection, and (iv) strengthen team coordination through role-specific checkpoints and psychologically safe debriefs. The paper contributes design knowledge for moving from isolated IVR demonstrations to work-integrated training systems that are implementable in organizations and testable in further longitudinal evaluation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applying Virtual Worlds Knowledge: Methods, Evaluation, and Effective Transfer of Knowledge into Practice)
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Review

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34 pages, 2540 KB  
Review
Designing Extended Intelligence: A Taxonomy of Psychobiological Effects of XR–AI Systems for Human Capability Augmentation
by Jolanda Tromp, Ilias El Makrini, Mario Trógolo, Miguel A. Muñoz, Maria B. Sánchez-Barrerra, Jose Pech Pacheco and Cándida Castro
Virtual Worlds 2026, 5(2), 18; https://doi.org/10.3390/virtualworlds5020018 - 18 Apr 2026
Viewed by 812
Abstract
Extended Reality (XR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are increasingly converging within cyber–physical infrastructures, including digital twins, the Spatial Web, and smart-city systems. These environments require new frameworks for understanding how human performance emerges through sustained interaction with immersive interfaces and adaptive computational agents. [...] Read more.
Extended Reality (XR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are increasingly converging within cyber–physical infrastructures, including digital twins, the Spatial Web, and smart-city systems. These environments require new frameworks for understanding how human performance emerges through sustained interaction with immersive interfaces and adaptive computational agents. This paper introduces the TAXI–XI-CAP framework, a two-layer model that links psychobiological mechanisms of XR–AI interaction to higher-level, experimentally testable capability constructs. The TAXI layer defines 42 mechanisms spanning perception, cognition, physiology, sensorimotor control, and social coordination, while XI-CAP organizes these into capability patterns such as remote dexterity, distributed cognition, and adaptive workload regulation. Derived through a theory-guided synthesis across XR, neuroscience, and human–automation interaction, the framework models performance as emerging from interacting mechanisms under real-world constraints. A validation-oriented research agenda is proposed, emphasizing mechanism-level measurement, capability-level evaluation, and longitudinal testing. The TAXI–XI-CAP framework provides a structured basis for hypothesis generation, comparative analysis, and empirical validation of XR–AI systems, supporting the development of reliable, scalable, and human-centered Extended Intelligence infrastructures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applying Virtual Worlds Knowledge: Methods, Evaluation, and Effective Transfer of Knowledge into Practice)
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