Independent research using VirtualSpeech
Organizations across different countries have run studies using our platform and published the results. We didn't commission any of them, and we don't review findings before publication.
2021–2026
published between
9
countries
16+
published studies naming the platform
The strongest evidence we have
A randomised trial, plus the largest and most carefully measured before-and-after studies.
Randomised controlled trial · 50 adult learners · Singapore, 2022
Exploring adult learners' experience with VR-generated feedback for improving online presentation
Quek Choon Lang, Tan Seng Chee & Kenneth Y. T. Lim · Nanyang Technological University · ASCILITE 2022, University of Sydney · doi.org/10.14742/apubs.2022.145
A randomised, single-blinded two-group pre-test/post-test study in Singapore. Fifty adult participants presented three times; the VR group received VirtualSpeech's automated feedback, the control group received computer and human feedback. Listenability was scored by the system at each stage.
8.56
VR group listenability, final stage
2.56
control group, same stage
p < 0.05
significant difference between groups
Keep in mind: The authors are explicit about the limits: at 25 per group the sample is too small to generalise.
Before and after · 285 students · Netherlands, 2025
Does using virtual reality to enhance students' presentation skills work? The role of feedback and presence
Roberta Di Palma, Simon Beausaert, Dominik Mahr, Jonas Heller and Tim Hilken. Maastricht University. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 41(5), e70097, 2025. doi.org/10.1111/jcal.70097
Each student had a 30-minute individual session in VirtualSpeech, with alerts on pace and volume while presenting and feedback afterwards. The researchers modelled how feedback and the feeling of a real audience related to motivation and performance.
285
students, the largest sample on this page
30 min
individual session each
Keep in mind: Students who noticed and understood the feedback were more motivated and more likely to carry skills into class, and a stronger sense of audience went with better classroom performance. These are associations from one group, not a controlled comparison.
Before and after · 43 students · Taiwan, 2024
Enhancing English oral communication skills through virtual reality: a study on anxiety reduction and authentic learning
Ophelia Hsiang Ling Huang. Taipei Medical University. English Language Teaching 17(5), 1–11, 2024. doi.org/10.5539/elt.v17n5p1
Students on an English presentation course at a medical university used VirtualSpeech for meetings, presentations and mock job interviews. Speaking anxiety was measured before and after and analysed with a Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
32 of 43
students' anxiety scores fell
p < .001
overall drop in anxiety
4 of 4
anxiety factors fell significantly
Keep in mind: There was no control group, and fear of negative evaluation stayed at a moderate level afterwards.
Pre/post study · six-week deployment · United States, 2025
The Virtual Stage: virtual reality integration in effective speaking courses
Adam Patterson (University of Connecticut), Cathy Temple, Nikki Anderson, Chris Rogalski and Kevin Mentzer (Nichols College). Information Systems Education Journal 23(4), 57–68, 2025. doi.org/10.62273/IMLU5983
Students on a required speaking course took Meta Quest 2 headsets home for six weeks with VirtualSpeech installed. Nothing was assigned or graded. Funded by a US Department of Education grant.
p = 0.026
significant drop in speaking anxiety
p = 0.033
significant rise in confidence
4.5 hrs
average voluntary use per student
Keep in mind: Fifteen students completed both surveys, there was no control group, and the authors note likely response bias.
Professionals at work
Trained staff practising conversations they have in their real jobs.
Survey or interviews · 53 staff · Sweden, 2026
Crisis support teams' technological openness and learning attitudes toward the AI-based virtual patient system Crisis Support VR
Sophie Kjerstin Mårtensson, Charlotte Hveem, Maurice Lamb and Rajna Knez. University of Skövde and Sahlgrenska University Hospital. Frontiers in Digital Health 8:1805454, 2026. doi.org/10.3389/fdgth.2026.1805454
Physicians, psychologists, counsellors, nurses and rescue service staff in Region Västra Götaland practised psychological first aid with AI avatars who had lived through floods, fires and attacks, in up to 16 languages, then rated the experience.
4.28 / 5
positive about learning this way
4.25 / 5
a good complement to existing training
Keep in mind: Self-reported attitudes only; learning outcomes weren't measured. Sessions were run by a project lead who co-authored the paper, in one region.
Built into university courses
How instructors fitted the platform into taught courses, and what students and faculty said.
Survey or interviews · 11 students, 21 faculty · Finland, 2026
Virtual reality in marketing education: experiences, challenges, and the development of the 3E framework for presentation skills training
Ilia Gugenishvili, Nia Chunashvili and Anna-Greta Nyström. Åbo Akademi University. Journal of Marketing Education, 2026. doi.org/10.1080/10528008.2026.2621017
The only study here that asks faculty as well as students. Students practised for 90 minutes before presenting marketing plans to peers, faculty and industry guests; 21 teachers across marketing, law and accounting were trained and interviewed. Participants valued lower anxiety, repeatable practice and objective real-time feedback.
Named in method - Faculty perspectives - Presentation skills - Anxiety
Survey or interviews · One course · United States, 2025
"Another arrow in the quiver": student perceptions of integrating virtual reality into the public speaking course
Samuel Allen, B. F. Batista, Lily Zhang and Kaitlyn Haynal. Randolph-Macon College and University of Mary Washington. Communication Education 74(1), 27–51, 2025. Companion paper: Haynal, Allen and Zhang, “Virtually speaking”, Communication Teacher 40(3), 2026. doi.org/10.1080/03634523.2024.2430778
A semester-long integration into a college public speaking course, with four structured practice sessions: orientation, group informative, individual informative and persuasive speech. The 2026 companion paper is a step-by-step guide for instructors who want to run the same activity.
Named in method - Higher education teaching - Public speaking
Survey or interviews · 48 students · United States, 2025
Undergraduate students' perspectives of virtual reality applications in an intercultural communication course
Haixia Liu. Grand Valley State University. Intercultural Communication Studies 34(1), 4, 2025. doi.org/10.53941/ics.2025.100004
Forty-eight students compared three VR applications on Meta Quest 3. VirtualSpeech scored highest of the three for internal reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.89) and rated at or above 4.0 on every measure: confidence with diverse audiences 4.3, effectiveness of feedback 4.3, and adapting to multicultural audiences 4.4, which 100% of participants agreed with.
Named in method - Comparative study - Public speaking - Confidence
Before and after · 34 students · Taiwan, 2024
Exploring the impact of VR scaffolding on EFL teaching and learning: anxiety reduction, perceptions, and influencing factors
Hsiang Ling Huang. Taipei Medical University. Multimodal Technologies and Interaction 8(10), 85, 2024. doi.org/10.3390/mti8100085
Medical students spent about 25 minutes a week in VirtualSpeech for four weeks, practising elevator pitches and job interviews, followed by class discussion. They could also self-study courses including Leadership Communication, Media Training and Business Ethics.
4 weeks
of weekly practice
p = 0.038
improvement in learning scores
Other published work
Smaller, specialised or descriptive papers. Useful context, but weaker evidence.
Journal article
Virtual reality integration in psychology education: a systemic approach to meaningful learning
Cecilia M. Drach and Marcelo R. Ceberio. Universidad Argentina de la Empresa and Escuela Sistémica Argentina. Journal of Psychosocial Systems. doi.org/10.23823/v67rjr80
Students on a Group Dynamics course interviewed an avatar representing the psychoanalyst Enrique Pichon-Rivière, built in VirtualSpeech. Reported increased motivation and better understanding of key concepts. The authors also flag real constraints: technology access and the need for teacher training.
Named in method - Higher education teaching - Custom scenario
Journal article
Educational innovation in engineering: integrating virtual reality and artificial intelligence in first-year student training
Jorge Alvarez, Fernando De Lima Caneppele, Roberto Gómez Tobias, Cristian Segura-Dominguez, Miriam Navarrete-Bear and Jorge Hidalgo. IEEE, 2025.
A four-week module for first-year engineering students combined a separate VR simulation with VirtualSpeech for AI-based communication practice. Students reported high immersion and acceptance, and the authors recommend wider use. Useful as evidence that the platform fits technical disciplines, not only communication courses.
Named in method - Engineering education
Journal article
Virtual reality: a viable strategy for public speaking anxiety in university students and graduates
Gabriela P. Ayala-Almarza, Vanetza Quezada-Scholz, María Consuelo San Martín and Mario A. Laborda. University of Chile and University of the Andes. Iberoamerican Journal of Psychology and Public Policy 3(1), 2026. doi.org/10.56754/2810-6598.2026.0044
Two single-group pre-test/post-test studies of a brief VR exposure therapy protocol, one delivered in person over five sessions (n = 9) and one remotely over six to eight sessions (n = 5). Both showed significant reductions in negative self-verbalizations and significant improvements in public speaking confidence; the remote study had full adherence and a clinically significant decrease on two CORE-OM subscales. The only clinical protocol in the set.
Named in method - Clinical - Anxiety
Journal article
Speak like a pro: boosting language proficiency, engagement, and reducing anxiety in virtual reality through innovative media transition with MondlyVR and VirtualSpeech
H. Shafiee Rad · Learning: Research and Practice (2024)
Language learners used VirtualSpeech alongside a second platform, with reported gains in proficiency and engagement and reduced anxiety. Because two tools were used, the effect can't be attributed to ours alone.
Named in method - Language learning - Anxiety
Journal article
Developing soft communication skills with virtual reality and artificial intelligence
Leon Bohinc & Igor Perko, 2026
A methodological framework for studying soft communication skills, built around a pre-test/post-test experiment using two VirtualSpeech simulations. Notable for combining the platform's AI-generated behavioural metrics with surveys and transcript analysis - researchers treating the scored data as a research instrument rather than just a training output.
Named in method - Research method
Master's Thesis
Improving interview skills through virtual reality with behavior skills training for students with disabilities
G. DuBois. University of South Florida. Master's thesis, 2023.
Vocational training research combining VirtualSpeech with behavioural skills training to help students with disabilities develop and generalise interview skills.
Named in method - Employability - Accessibility
Peer-Reviewed Teaching Case
VirtualSpeech: harnessing virtual reality for soft skills development
Ilia Gugenishvili & Nia Chunashvili · Åbo Akademi University School of Business and Economics · SAGE Business Cases Originals, 15 January 2026 · ISBN 9781071906507
A teaching case following the founders and the company's growth, written for business school classrooms - students analyse the business model, sustainable growth, data protection, and scepticism about VR training. It is evidence that the company is studied, not that the product works, so it sits in its own category. Worth noting separately that business schools now teach VirtualSpeech as a case.
About the company - Business school teaching case
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