Public Speaking in Virtual Reality

Abstract: Public speaking is something that most people struggle with and the art of public speaking is something that is difficult to master. Traditional coaching usually consists of an expert teaching you a set of rules to consider and giving you feedback based on a presentation. Virtual reality (VR) based applications have been becoming more and more common over the last couple of years as an alternative to traditional methods and have become even more relevant over the last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this thesis, a user-centered design (UCD) process has been used over the time span of 20 weeks to develop a VR-based application that can be used to practise and improve on one's public speaking skills. The focus during the process was on in what different areas can feedback be given to the users. Several iterations of tests were conducted, where as the final iteration of tests were conducted on 13 potential end-users. In which the data of these tests resulted in an application where the user could simulate holding a presentation in front of different sized audiences and then get feedback based on their movement, hand movement, speech and their gaze. The results of the final tests showed that the feedback given from the application could help the users improve their public speaking skills. The application in general was also well received, participants expressed a moderate to high sense of presence and excitement while using the application.