Training kindergarten teachers with virtual reality

In this study we used Virtual Reality to simulate a toddler's first few days' experiences in kindergarten and test whether we can improve the teacher's understanding of a toddler's feelings. The virtual worlds were developed in accordance with the toddler's way of emotional, cognitive and visual thinking. The participants in this study were 40 teachers who work with infants aged 6 months to 4 years old. The findings indicate that experiencing a virtual world that reflects the real world of children improves the teacher's awareness to the emotional experiences that a toddler undergoes in her/his first days in day-care or kindergarten.