Abstract
Among the wide application areas that Virtual Reality (VR) can have a major impact, one is Education. However, this potential is still unexplored, and one of these gaps has to do with language learning. Listening activities, which are often only supported by audio, are thought of to be demanding area when it comes to learning a second or foreign language and so therefore an interesting area for VR to take place. This pilot study therefore presents the perceptions of foreign language teachers regarding a novel medium for delivering listening activities to their students: Virtual Reality technology. The results show that foreign language teachers are of the opinion that this technology can help motivate students and potentiate the student’s learning curve regarding the listening of a foreign or second language. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019.

Abstract
There are still open questions about the effectiveness of Virtual Reality (VR) in Education when compared to conventional learning methods. This paper studies the feasibility of a VR-based learning tool and the possible differences in knowledge retention across a VR learning method and a conventional audio method, when it comes to learning a foreign language. Also, the students’ sense of presence and satisfaction were studied. For such purpose, a user study was conducted and results revealed that while presence and satisfaction were higher in Virtual Reality, the knowledge retention score remains the same across both experimental conditions. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019.

Abstract
Virtual Reality is becoming more popular over the years because it allows the user to be the main actor in another environment and interact with it in real time. New interaction methods are being studied, like tangible interfaces, but there is little work done related to small distances when grabbing objects through a virtual environment. This study is important because, in our perspective, interaction in virtual reality will be at arms reach, meaning that the user will interact within very close distances (under 1 m). In this paper, the research team further evaluate distance perception using gender, the presence of avatar and height (fixed or personalised). The sample consisted of 64 participants (32 females and 32 males) evenly distributed between all four conditions (8 males and 8 females for each condition). Results revealed that gender does have an impact on small distance estimation; height does not have an impact on distance estimation; and avatar does make a difference when trying to grab a real object through the virtual environment. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019.

Abstract
Although selection menus are widely used for interaction, their use on 3D virtual reality applications needs to be objectively assessed. The focus of this study is to evaluate a traditional panel and a radial menu in two distinct virtual environment placements (i.e. fixed on the wall and following the users' hands). Fifty-one participants used two different menus of the four possible combinations. To evaluate the menus' effectiveness and efficiency, we measured usability (System Usability Scale Questionnaire), user satisfaction (After-Scenario Questionnaire), time to finish the tasks (in seconds) and the number of unnecessary steps (errors) performed by the users. Overall results showed a clear preference for the traditional panel menu type and the fixed wall placement of the menu. We conclude that all menu types perform well, despite different user preferences, and that fixing the menu to the wall gives users a better overview of both the menu and the virtual environment, improving their ability to perceive their actions on the menu.

Abstract
Training with Virtual Reality (VR) can bring several benefits, such as the reduction of costs and risks. We present an experimental study that aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a Virtual Environment (VE) to train firefighters using an innovative approach based on a Real Environment (RE) exercise. To measure the VE's effectiveness we used a Presence Questionnaire (PQ) and participant's cybersickness, stress and fatigue. Results from the PQ showed that participants rated the VE with high spatial presence and moderate realness and immersion. Signs of stress, analyzed from participant's Heart-Rate Variability, were shown in the RE but not in the VE. In the remaining variables, there was only an indicative difference for fatigue in the RE. Therefore, the results suggest that although our training VE was successful in giving participants spatial presence and in not causing cybersickness, its realness and immersion provided were not enough to provoke a similar RE response.

Abstract
The area of professional training using virtual reality technologies has received considerable investment due to the advantages that virtual reality provides over traditional training. In this paper, we present an experiment whose goal was to analyse the impact that an additional stimulus has on the effectiveness of a virtual environment designed to train firefighters. The additional stimulus is a smell, more specifically the smell of burnt wood, which is consistent with the audiovisual content presented, and the effectiveness of the VE is measured through participant's feeling of presence, cybersickness, fatigue, stress and transfer of knowledge. The results indicate that, although the VE was successful in transferring knowledge, the addition of smell did not influence any of the measured variables. In the discussion section, we present the various factors that we believe have influenced this result. As future work, more experiments will be performed, with other stimuli, to understand better which stimuli increase participant's feeling of presence in the VE.