Virtual Reality (VR) in the Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) Domain: A Mapping and a Pre-study on Functionality and Immersion

Abstract

This pre-study investigates how Virtual Reality (VR) can be used to support collaborative work in a business setting. Based on a literature review it’s explored how immersive technologies like Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR) fit into the Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) domain. By using the time and space matrix the immersive technologies are classified. Based on the findings, immersive VR supporting synchronous and remote collaboration is chosen for further investigation, where the immersive VR application, MeetinVR, has been tested. Two small-scale experiments have been conducted (n = 3 and n = 10) to test the functionality of the MeetinVR application and the level of immersion when conducting interviews compared to an online communication tool, like Skype. The initial results indicate that an immersive VR application is relatively user-friendly and provide a high level of immersion.