Extended Reality Vocational Training for Hearing Impaired

June 5, 2026 updated by: Abdellah Ibrahim Mohammed Elfeky, King Salman Center for Disability Research

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.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

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 …

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

48

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Egypt
      • Cairo, Egypt
        • Special Education Resource Rooms

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

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.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Experimental Group (XR Training)
Participants in this group receive an immersive 6-week vocational training intervention utilizing interactive 360-degree Virtual Reality (360-VR) simulations. Sessions are executed twice a week, precisely capped at 20 minutes per student. The platform features integrated visual scaffolding, combining concise written text with synchronized Saudi Sign Language (SSL) video loops to teach standardized hospitality competencies.
Behavioral: Interactive 360-degree Virtual Reality Vocational Training
The virtual training is a behavioral intervention delivered via high-definition standalone VR head-mounted displays. It comprises an immersive 360-degree interactive environment capturing authentic premium hospitality venues (luxury suites and kitchens). The protocol spans 6 weeks, structured into two 20-minute individual learning sessions per week (12 sessions total). The system integrates specialized visual cues and interactive hotspots that launch customized, transparent windows combining clear text with synchronized Saudi Sign Language (SSL) interpreters to guide task steps and lower the student's visual cognitive load.
Other Names:
  • Interactive 360-VR Simulation Platform
No Intervention: Control Group (Conventional Instruction)
Participants in this group target identical vocational hospitality competencies within the traditional special education workshops under standard instructor demonstrations and text-heavy booklets, without any digital or adaptive technology interventions.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Cognitive Achievement Test (CAT) Scores
Time Frame: Baseline (Pre-test) and 6 weeks post-intervention (Post-test)
The CAT is a hyper-visualized 30-item multiple-choice instrument designed to evaluate theoretical safety and operational hospitality knowledge. Total scores range from 0 to 30, with higher scores representing superior cognitive theoretical mastery.
Baseline (Pre-test) and 6 weeks post-intervention (Post-test)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

King Salman Center for Disability Research

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

January 3, 2026

Primary Completion (Actual)

April 14, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

May 10, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 3, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 5, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

June 10, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 10, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 5, 2026

Last Verified

June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • KSRG-2026-053-2
  • KSRG-2026-053 (King Salman center for Disability Research)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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