New research led by Michigan State University and partners shows that virtual reality, even in its simplest form, can help students with disabilities learn important life skills and apply these skills in real-world settings.

Two recent peer-reviewed studies found that nonimmersive virtual reality, or VR — screen-based programs on devices like laptops or Chromebooks, rather than expensive VR headsets — improved how well students with intellectual and developmental disabilities performed tasks such as cooking on a stove, shopping from a list and using kitchen appliances.

In the first study researchers worked with three students with disabilities in a rural school district who had limited access to in-person community-based instruction. Using VR simulations of everyday tasks like shopping or cooking, the students showed clear improvements in their ability to complete task steps. Importantly, those skills held up even after the VR instruction ended, suggesting long-term retention.