This is how we roll: A VR environment for training Situation Awareness in roller operator students

Road construction operators need a strong sense of what is going on around them, termed Situation Awareness, in order to be able to deal with variations, uncertainties, risks, and even hazards in their daily jobs. Although this skill is typically acquired on the job, with Virtual Reality technology, it becomes possible for students to train their SA under the supervision of their teachers in a virtual environment. In this study we aim to develop a VR training for the acquisition of Situation Awareness in vocational asphalting education, and to help teachers with integrating the training in their lessons as well as assessing the students\' performance. The virtual training will consist of several scenarios in which the trainee compacts asphalt, and in which conditions such as weather vary to entice the Situation Awareness of the trainee. The Virtual scenarios will be accompanied by assessment instruments, instructions for teachers and students, and tools for debriefing. In a series of empirical studies, the usability, validity, benchmarks of the training, and merit of debriefing will be investigated. To achieve these aims, intensive and long-term collaborations with partners from vocational education and the industry have been initiated. The training materials, including the VR-app, scenarios, assessments, documentation, and materials, tools, and instructions for debriefing will be made available to teachers and student via a web portal.