Project Summary

Aotearoa New Zealand faces a growing need for well-trained early childhood education (ECE) and healthcare professionals, as well as support for confident and capable parents. This research project introduces an innovative solution: an immersive VR Baby training tool designed to strengthen relational skills in sensitive interactions between adults and infants.

Central to the project is whanaungatanga, the Māori principle of building and sustaining meaningful relationships. Through virtual reality, participants learn to recognise and respond to infant cues, developing intuitive, empathetic, and effective caregiving behaviours that transfer directly to real-world encounters.

Improving Infant Care Through Immersive VR Training

The VR Baby tool aims to:

• Enhance responsiveness to infant communication
• Improve confidence and competence in ECE and paediatric healthcare settings
• Support parents in developing stronger relationships with infants
• Reduce failure rates in early childhood learning and healthcare
• Ease pressure on social and community support services

Early findings show significant improvements in professional confidence, attentiveness, and interaction quality after VR-enhanced training.

Interdisciplinary Research and Broader Impact

This project brings together experts across education, healthcare, immersive technology, and Māori knowledge systems. Beyond direct benefits to infants and caregivers, the research contributes to the IT, media training, and game development sectors by generating design principles for future training tools.

The project represents a pioneering step in professional education in Aotearoa New Zealand—blending intercultural values, innovation, and a commitment to the well-being of the country’s youngest citizens.

Funding Acknowledgement

This project received Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) Smart Ideas funding in the 2024 round of the Endeavour Fund.

Primary Contacts

• Professor Heide Lukosch, HIT Lab NZ, University of Canterbury
• Professor Jayne White, Faculty of Education, University of Canterbury

Project Team

• Dr Ngaroma Williams, School of Leadership and Professional Practice, University of Canterbury
• Dr Rene Novak, HIT Lab NZ, University of Canterbury
• Dr Samara Morrison, HIT Lab NZ, University of Canterbury
• Ryan McKee, HIT Lab NZ, University of Canterbury
• Rodrigo Dias Takase, HIT Lab NZ, University of Canterbury
• Minyi Wang, HIT Lab NZ, University of Canterbury
• Professor Tony Walls, Infection Group, University of Otago
• Dr Niki Newman, UOC Simulation Centre, University of Otago Christchurch

Related Projects

VR Baby Training Tool (VRBTT)

UC Project Team