Campus Safety Virtual Reality Training
Campus Safety Virtual Reality Training
A learner-centered approach to designing a VR onboarding experience.
A learner-centered approach to designing a VR onboarding experience.
Overview
Overview
Campus Safety Virtual Reality (CSVR) is a training program created at PUSH Studio in partnership with DePaul University’s Public Safety department. CSVR helps new officers practice handling campus incidents through role playing VR simulations, but it requires a PUSH Studio technologist to administer each session. This limits when and how often officers can train.
To address this, we created a pre-training onboarding experience that explains the controller, UI, and the officer’s role in the simulation so officers can enter and complete training independently.
Campus Safety Virtual Reality (CSVR) is a training program created at PUSH Studio in partnership with DePaul University’s Public Safety department. CSVR helps new officers practice handling campus incidents through role playing VR simulations, but it requires a PUSH Studio technologist to administer each session. This limits when and how often officers can train.
To address this, we created a pre-training onboarding experience that explains the controller, UI, and the officer’s role in the simulation so officers can enter and complete training independently.
Team:
Team:
Team:
UX Researcher, VR Developer, and Public Safety Director
UX Researcher, VR Developer, and Public Safety Director
My role:
My role:
My role:
As a UX/UI Designer, I designed the onboarding experience, planned and ran user testing, synthesized and reported findings.
As a UX/UI Designer, I designed the onboarding experience, planned and ran user testing, synthesized and reported findings.
Method:
Method:
Method:
Instructional Design, and Usability Testing
Instructional Design, and Usability Testing
Tools:
Tools:
Tools:
Unity, ConvAI, Meta Quest, Figma, FigJam
Unity, ConvAI, Meta Quest, Figma, FigJam
Duration:
Duration:
Duration:
April - May 2025 (4 weeks)
April - May 2025 (4 weeks)
Context
Context
CSVR is a long standing project created to better prepare DePaul University Campus Security’s new officers for real world challenges. Earlier work produced two scenarios, battery and theft, where officers interview virtual avatars and receive instant feedback on their performance.
I joined the project to refine the UI, design the onboarding, and test the training program with new officers. This case study focuses on onboarding because it was where I had the greatest influence and ownership.
CSVR is a long standing project created to better prepare DePaul University Campus Security’s new officers for real world challenges. Earlier work produced two scenarios, battery and theft, where officers interview virtual avatars and receive instant feedback on their performance.
I joined the project to refine the UI, design the onboarding, and test the training program with new officers. This case study focuses on onboarding because it was where I had the greatest influence and ownership.
Image: Team demoing CSVR with campus security officers.
Image: Team demoing CSVR with campus security officers.
Problem Space
Problem Space
CSVR requires technologists to administer each session, which limits when and how often officers can train. We needed a pre-training onboarding experience that gives officers the information they need to use CSVR independently.
CSVR requires technologists to administer each session, which limits when and how often officers can train. We needed a pre-training onboarding experience that gives officers the information they need to use CSVR independently.
Central Question:
How might we design an effective onboarding experience that prepares officers to use CSVR independently?
Central Question:
How might we design an effective onboarding experience that prepares officers to use CSVR independently?
Central Question:
How might we design an effective onboarding experience that prepares officers to use CSVR independently?
Process
Process
1. Identify Key Onboarding Topics
1. Identify Key Onboarding Topics
I began by testing the simulation as if I were a safety officer encountering the system for the first time. From this experience, I identified three critical areas the onboarding needed to cover:
I began by testing the simulation as if I were a safety officer encountering the system for the first time. From this experience, I identified three critical areas the onboarding needed to cover:
Physical device:
Physical device:
Physical device:
How to use and practice the controller trigger.
How to use and practice the controller trigger.
In-simulation UI:
In-simulation UI:
In-simulation UI:
Where to find the menu, interview checklist, assessment button, and progress bar.
Where to find the menu, interview checklist, assessment button, and progress bar.
Training goal:
Training goal:
Training goal:
What officers are expected to do once the simulation begins.
What officers are expected to do once the simulation begins.
These areas directly reflected the moments where uncertainty or hesitation occurred during a first time use.
These areas directly reflected the moments where uncertainty or hesitation occurred during a first time use.
2. Create Onboarding Flowchart
2. Create Onboarding Flowchart
I mapped the onboarding flow and drafted the narrative. The design included the three critical onboarding sections and followed the intended ideal flow.
I mapped the onboarding flow and drafted the narrative. The design included the three critical onboarding sections and followed the intended ideal flow.
Simplified Onboarding Flowchart
Simplified Onboarding Flowchart
Learner-Centered Design Principles Applied
Learner-Centered Design Principles Applied
I applied learner-centered design principles when designing the onboarding experience, and below are the key concepts I used.
I applied learner-centered design principles when designing the onboarding experience, and below are the key concepts I used.
Personalization:
Personalization:
Personalization:
A virtual onboarding avatar, Trainer Sam, guides the onboarding using a friendly conversational tone.
A virtual onboarding avatar, Trainer Sam, guides the onboarding using a friendly conversational tone.
Practice:
Practice:
Practice:
Users practice essential actions before entering the training scenario.
Users practice essential actions before entering the training scenario.
Signaling:
Signaling:
Signaling:
The avatar uses gestures to point at UI elements and draw attention to them.
The avatar uses gestures to point at UI elements and draw attention to them.
Implementation
Implementation
The handoff document included a complete flow chart with step by step descriptions and suggested character dialogue. Trainer Sam was created in ConvAI and imported into Unity.
The handoff document included a complete flow chart with step by step descriptions and suggested character dialogue. Trainer Sam was created in ConvAI and imported into Unity.
Unexpected Challenge
Unexpected Challenge
During implementation, the VR developer temporarily changed the speaking trigger from the A button on the controller to a microphone icon in the transcript window. This did not add steps, but it made speaking more difficult because users had to locate and select a small UI element each time. This change also prevented us from implementing controller trigger guidance as planned.
In addition, time constraints prevented us from adding automatic greetings and signaling cues. Despite these gaps, we proceeded with testing to evaluate the core onboarding experience.
During implementation, the VR developer temporarily changed the speaking trigger from the A button on the controller to a microphone icon in the transcript window. This did not add steps, but it made speaking more difficult because users had to locate and select a small UI element each time. This change also prevented us from implementing controller trigger guidance as planned.
In addition, time constraints prevented us from adding automatic greetings and signaling cues. Despite these gaps, we proceeded with testing to evaluate the core onboarding experience.
Test with Safety Officers
Test with Safety Officers
10 campus safety officers with an average of 4.5 years of field experience participated in the study. We observed how they navigated the VR environment after onboarding and interviewed them about their impressions.
10 campus safety officers with an average of 4.5 years of field experience participated in the study. We observed how they navigated the VR environment after onboarding and interviewed them about their impressions.
Findings
Findings
Completion:
Completion:
Completion:
All participants completed onboarding successfully.
All participants completed onboarding successfully.
Confidence:
Confidence:
Confidence:
Participants had a positive impression of onboarding, and 9 out of 10 reported feeling confident using CSVR independently afterward.
Participants had a positive impression of onboarding, and 9 out of 10 reported feeling confident using CSVR independently afterward.
Challenges:
Challenges:
Challenges:
However, only half continued training without support, primarily due to difficulty locating the menu, progress indicator, and assessment UI.
However, only half continued training without support, primarily due to difficulty locating the menu, progress indicator, and assessment UI.
Participant 4
“Trainer Sam is the GOAT! He was informative and helpful.”
Participant 4
“Trainer Sam is the GOAT! He was informative and helpful.”
Participant 4
“Trainer Sam is the GOAT! He was informative and helpful.”
Testing Video Demoing Onboarding
Testing Video Demoing Onboarding
Limitations
Limitations
Inconsistent performance
Inconsistent performance
Inconsistent performance
ConvAI bugs caused lag and interruptions, which may have contributed to participants needing help.
ConvAI bugs caused lag and interruptions, which may have contributed to participants needing help.
Implementation gaps
Implementation gaps
Implementation gaps
Missing features required verbal guidance, limiting our ability to fully evaluate independent use.
Missing features required verbal guidance, limiting our ability to fully evaluate independent use.
Future Work
Future Work
Based on testing insights, future improvements will focus on clarity, independence, and system stability.
Based on testing insights, future improvements will focus on clarity, independence, and system stability.
Onboarding Clarity:
Onboarding Clarity:
Onboarding Clarity:
Add automatic greetings so users know how onboarding begins.
Apply signaling for UI elements to improve discoverability.
Add controller guidance at the start.
Add automatic greetings so users know how onboarding begins.
Apply signaling for UI elements to improve discoverability.
Add controller guidance at the start.
Interaction Improvements:
Interaction Improvements:
Interaction Improvements:
Revert the speaking trigger to the A button for easier interaction.
Add an ask for help option during training scenarios.
Revert the speaking trigger to the A button for easier interaction.
Add an ask for help option during training scenarios.
Optional Onboarding:
Optional Onboarding:
Optional Onboarding:
Make onboarding optional so experienced officers can move directly into training.
Make onboarding optional so experienced officers can move directly into training.
Technical Stability:
Technical Stability:
Technical Stability:
Explore more stable AI character tools to reduce lag and interruptions.
Explore more stable AI character tools to reduce lag and interruptions.
Reflection
Reflection
This was my first VR project at PUSH Studio and an opportunity to join a project already in motion. At the same time, I was working on an e-learning project using learner-centered design principles, which helped me design clearer and more supportive onboarding for CSVR.
This experience strengthened my ability to translate instructional design into interactive training, especially within unfamiliar and emerging technologies.
This was my first VR project at PUSH Studio and an opportunity to join a project already in motion. At the same time, I was working on an e-learning project using learner-centered design principles, which helped me design clearer and more supportive onboarding for CSVR.
This experience strengthened my ability to translate instructional design into interactive training, especially within unfamiliar and emerging technologies.