More than a decade of research
from the #1 ranked public Department of Special Education at the University of Kansas
VOISS is grounded in evidence-based practices for social skills and XR, built upon more than a decade of federally funded research. Our technology utilizes immersive environments that provide students with safe, realistic social situations that teach them the skills they need to navigate social situations.
VOISS offers a research-backed, university-developed tool educators can use to help guide and empower students to practice and build needed social skills in an interactive digital setting.
VOISS was developed over more than a decade of research with students and practitioners in real-world settings. It has been used by more than 3,000 students and 300 teachers and is backed by KU’s #1-ranked special education program.
VOISS Team
Co-Founder & Chief Scientific Officer
Co-Principal Investigator
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Co-Founder &
Principal Investigator
Co-Founder &
Co-Principal Investigator
Co-Founder &
Co-Principal Investigator
Educational Technology Strategist
Partners
Research-Driven Impact
VOISS is the culmination of more than a decade of federally funded research. Our platform transforms social learning into measurable results, providing students with the confidence to navigate complex school-based social dynamics through high-fidelity, evidence-based simulation.
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The academic and business development of the VOISS work seems to have major potential for good. All those involved deserve thanks.
— Parent of a middle school student using VOISS
Publication Highlights
Educator access to high-quality Evidence-Based Practices is often hindered by professional development (PD) websites that are overwhelming, difficult to navigate, or time-consuming to use. This study explored using an AI chatbot to improve the usability and navigability of finding relevant content on a PD website.
Fewer Clicks Matter: AI’s Ability to Improve Website Usage for Educator Professional Development
The Social Validity of Video Modeling Versus Virtual Reality for Improving the Social Communication Skills of Middle School Students
The extent to which an intervention is perceived as socially valid significantly influences whether the intervention is selected, implemented, and maintained (Kern & Manz, 2004). Social-Emotional-Behavioral(SEB) interventions and evidence-based practices (EBPs) are often ranked with low social validity by adolescents (McCoy et al., 2016).
Comparing immersive VR and non-immersive VR on social skill acquisition for students in middle school with ASD
Virtual reality (VR) has evolved to include non-immersive to fully-immersive experiences for the classroom. This study seeks to understand the potential effects VR may offer, specifically characteristics associated with how a student experiences a VR intervention and the effects of using a VR device for learning.
Comparing immersive VR and non-immersive VR on social skill acquisition for students in middle school with ASD
This study compares immersive and screen-based virtual reality instruction for middle school students with autism. Both formats significantly improved learning, highlighting VR’s potential as an effective and flexible educational tool.
More of our Publications:
The Technology Immersive Presence Scale (TIPS) proof of concept: Creating a student accessible measure of presence in virtual environments.
This study introduces the Technology Immersion Presence Scale, an inclusive tool for measuring how strongly users feel immersed in virtual environments. Initial findings support its reliability and validity for people with and without disabilities from age 8 through adulthood.
The Social Validity of Video Modeling Versus Virtual Reality for Improving the Social Communication Skills of Middle School Students
This randomized controlled trial examines how middle school students perceive VOISS compared with an established social skills intervention. Findings suggest that VOISS offers an engaging, practical, and socially valid approach to strengthening students’ social communication skills.
Designing for Successful Educational Experiences in Virtual Reality Environments
This study centers the perspectives of teachers and middle school students with autism to inform the design of future virtual reality learning environments. Findings highlight engagement, motivation, and ease of navigation as essential to creating more accessible and effective educational experiences.