Yusra Tehreem is a Marie Sklodowska-Curie researcher for ETN-CHARMING project. Her objective is to explore the potential of Virtual Reality for the advanced training of employees in the field of chemical industry. 

Publications

• Y. Tehreem, T. Pfeiffer, and S. Wachsmuth, “A Hybrid Collaboration Design for a Large Scale Virtual Reality Training Environment to Fulfil the Belongingness Needs of Maslow’s Theory,” in Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality, Cham, 2025, p. 259–281. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-78593-1_15
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  This work is part of a line of research to systematically investigate, how virtual reality (VR) trainings can be designed to be pragmatically effective (e.g. scalable) while satisfying human needs. To this ends, the design is guided inter alia by human motivational theory and in particular Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (MHN). The study at hand focused on the third level of MHN, covering the need for belongingness. Considering a classroom-sized VR setup, it appears obvious, that multi-user implementations may be effective in creating a sense of belongingness. However, increasing sizes of training areas, sense of competition, distractions or mutual influence impose challenges that need to be overcome. The study evaluates a new concept for a diminished multi-user approach, where only selected elements, that are supportive for belongingness, are synchronized, while disturbing elements are filtered. Results show, that the design, which is applicable for large environments, indeed increased communication, collaboration and awareness, without affecting comfort or distraction compared to single-user simulations.

  @InProceedings{10.1007/978-3-031-78593-1_15,
  author="Tehreem, Yusra and Pfeiffer, Thies and Wachsmuth, Sven",
  editor="Reyes-Lecuona, Arcadio and Zachmann, Gabriel and Bordegoni, Monica and Chen, Jian and Karaseitanidis, Giannis and Pagani, Alain and Bourdot, Patrick",
  title="A Hybrid Collaboration Design for a Large Scale Virtual Reality Training Environment to Fulfil the Belongingness Needs of Maslow's Theory",
  booktitle="Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality",
  year="2025",
  publisher="Springer Nature Switzerland",
  address="Cham",
  pages="259--281",
  abstract="This work is part of a line of research to systematically investigate, how virtual reality (VR) trainings can be designed to be pragmatically effective (e.g. scalable) while satisfying human needs. To this ends, the design is guided inter alia by human motivational theory and in particular Maslow's hierarchy of needs (MHN). The study at hand focused on the third level of MHN, covering the need for belongingness. Considering a classroom-sized VR setup, it appears obvious, that multi-user implementations may be effective in creating a sense of belongingness. However, increasing sizes of training areas, sense of competition, distractions or mutual influence impose challenges that need to be overcome. The study evaluates a new concept for a diminished multi-user approach, where only selected elements, that are supportive for belongingness, are synchronized, while disturbing elements are filtered. Results show, that the design, which is applicable for large environments, indeed increased communication, collaboration and awareness, without affecting comfort or distraction compared to single-user simulations.",
  isbn="978-3-031-78593-1",
  doi="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-78593-1_15",
  url="https://mixality.de/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2024_-_Tehreem_et_al_-_A_Hybrid_Collaboration.pdf"
  }

• T. Gallagher, B. Slof, M. van der Schaaf, R. Toyoda, Y. Tehreem, S. G. Fracaro, and L. Kester, “Comparison with Self vs Comparison with Others: The Influence of Learning Analytics Dashboard Design on Learner Dashboard Use,” in Games and Learning Alliance, Cham, 2022, p. 11–21. doi:10.1007/978-3-031-22124-8_2
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  This study uses log-file data to investigates how chemical process plant employees interact and engage with two distinct learning analytics dashboard designs, which are implemented in a virtual reality simulation-based training environment. The learning analytics dashboard designs differ by reference frame: the progress reference frame, offers historical performance data as a point of comparison and the social reference frame offers aggregated average peer group performance data as a point of comparison. Results show that participants who receive a progress reference frame are likely to spend less time reviewing their dashboard than those who receive a social reference. However, those who receive a progress reference frame are more likely to spend more time reviewing detailed task feedback and engaging with the learning analytics dashboard.

  @InProceedings{10.1007/978-3-031-22124-8_2,
  author="Gallagher, Timothy
  and Slof, Bert
  and van der Schaaf, Marieke
  and Toyoda, Ryo
  and Tehreem, Yusra
  and Fracaro, Sofia Garcia
  and Kester, Liesbeth",
  editor="Kiili, Kristian
  and Antti, Koskinen
  and de Rosa, Francesca
  and Dindar, Muhterem
  and Kickmeier-Rust, Michael
  and Bellotti, Francesco",
  title="Comparison with Self vs Comparison with Others: The Influence of Learning Analytics Dashboard Design on Learner Dashboard Use",
  booktitle="Games and Learning Alliance",
  year="2022",
  publisher="Springer International Publishing",
  address="Cham",
  pages="11--21",
  abstract="This study uses log-file data to investigates how chemical process plant employees interact and engage with two distinct learning analytics dashboard designs, which are implemented in a virtual reality simulation-based training environment. The learning analytics dashboard designs differ by reference frame: the progress reference frame, offers historical performance data as a point of comparison and the social reference frame offers aggregated average peer group performance data as a point of comparison. Results show that participants who receive a progress reference frame are likely to spend less time reviewing their dashboard than those who receive a social reference. However, those who receive a progress reference frame are more likely to spend more time reviewing detailed task feedback and engaging with the learning analytics dashboard.",
  isbn="978-3-031-22124-8",
  url= {https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-22124-8_2},
  doi={10.1007/978-3-031-22124-8_2}
  }

• Y. Tehreem, S. G. Fracaro, T. Gallagher, R. Toyoda, K. Bernaerts, J. Glassey, F. R. Abegão, S. Wachsmuth, M. Wilk, and T. Pfeiffer, “May I Remain Seated: A Pilot Study on the Impact of Reducing Room-Scale Trainings to Seated Conditions for Long Procedural Virtual Reality Trainings,” in 2022 8th International Conference on Virtual Reality (ICVR), 2022, pp. 62-71. doi:10.1109/ICVR55215.2022.9848222
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Although modern consumer level head-mounted-displays of today provide high-quality room scale tracking, and thus support a high level of immersion and presence, there are application contexts in which constraining oneself to seated set-ups is necessary. Classroom sized training groups are one highly relevant example. However, what is lost when constraining cybernauts to a stationary seated physical space? What is the impact on immersion, presence, cybersickness and what implications does this have on training success? Can a careful design for seated virtual reality (VR) amend some of these aspects? In this line of research, the study provides data on a comparison between standing and seated long (50–60 min) procedural VR training sessions of chemical operators in a realistic and lengthy chemical procedure (combination of digital and physical actions) inside a large 3-floor virtual chemical plant. Besides, a VR training framework based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (MHN) is also proposed to systematically analyze the needs in VR environments. In the first of a series of studies, the physiological and safety needs of MHN are evaluated among seated and standing groups in the form of cybersickness, usability and user experience. The results (n=32, real personnel of a chemical plant) show no statistically significant differences among seated and standing groups. There were low levels of cybersickness along with good scores of usability and user experience for both conditions. From these results, it can be implied that the seated condition does not impose significant problems that might hinder its application in classroom training. A follow-up study with a larger sample will provide a more detailed analysis on differences in experienced presence and learning success.

  @inproceedings{Tehreem2022MayIRemainSeated,
  author={Tehreem, Yusra and Fracaro, Sofia Garcia and Gallagher, Timothy and Toyoda, Ryo and Bernaerts, Kristel and Glassey, Jarka and Abeg{\~{a}}o, Fernando Russo and Wachsmuth, Sven and Wilk, Michael and Pfeiffer, Thies},
  booktitle={2022 8th International Conference on Virtual Reality (ICVR)},
  title={May I Remain Seated: A Pilot Study on the Impact of Reducing Room-Scale Trainings to Seated Conditions for Long Procedural Virtual Reality Trainings},
  abstract={Although modern consumer level head-mounted-displays of today provide high-quality room scale tracking, and thus support a high level of immersion and presence, there are application contexts in which constraining oneself to seated set-ups is necessary. Classroom sized training groups are one highly relevant example. However, what is lost when constraining cybernauts to a stationary seated physical space? What is the impact on immersion, presence, cybersickness and what implications does this have on training success? Can a careful design for seated virtual reality (VR) amend some of these aspects? In this line of research, the study provides data on a comparison between standing and seated long (50–60 min) procedural VR training sessions of chemical operators in a realistic and lengthy chemical procedure (combination of digital and physical actions) inside a large 3-floor virtual chemical plant. Besides, a VR training framework based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs (MHN) is also proposed to systematically analyze the needs in VR environments. In the first of a series of studies, the physiological and safety needs of MHN are evaluated among seated and standing groups in the form of cybersickness, usability and user experience. The results (n=32, real personnel of a chemical plant) show no statistically significant differences among seated and standing groups. There were low levels of cybersickness along with good scores of usability and user experience for both conditions. From these results, it can be implied that the seated condition does not impose significant problems that might hinder its application in classroom training. A follow-up study with a larger sample will provide a more detailed analysis on differences in experienced presence and learning success.},
  year={2022},
  pages={62-71},
  url= {https://mixality.de/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Tehreem2022ICVR.pdf},
  doi={10.1109/ICVR55215.2022.9848222}
  }

• S. Garcia Fracaro, P. Chan, T. Gallagher, Y. Tehreem, R. Toyoda, B. Kristel, G. Jarka, T. Pfeiffer, B. Slof, S. Wachsmuth, and M. Wilk, “Towards Design Guidelines for Virtual Reality Training for the Chemical Industry,” Education for Chemical Engineers, 2021. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ece.2021.01.014
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Operator training in the chemical industry is important because of the potentially hazardous nature of procedures and the way operators’ mistakes can have serious consequences on process operation and safety. Currently, operator training is facing some challenges, such as high costs, safety limitations and time constraints. Also, there have been some indications of a lack of engagement of employees during mandatory training. Immersive technologies can provide solutions to these challenges. Specifically, virtual reality (VR) has the potential to improve the way chemical operators experience training sessions, increasing motivation, virtually exposing operators to unsafe situations, and reducing classroom training time. In this paper, we present research being conducted to develop a virtual reality training solution as part of the EU Horizon 2020 CHARMING Project, a project focusing on the education of current and future chemical industry stakeholders. This paper includes the design principles for a virtual reality training environment including the features that enhance the effectiveness of virtual reality training such as game-based learning elements, learning analytics, and assessment methods. This work can assist those interested in exploring the potential of virtual reality training environments in the chemical industry from a multidisciplinary perspective.

  @article{GARCIAFRACARO2021,
  title = {{T}owards {D}esign {G}uidelines for {V}irtual {R}eality {T}raining for the {C}hemical {I}ndustry},
  journal = {{E}ducation for {C}hemical {E}ngineers},
  year = {2021},
  issn = {1749-7728},
  doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ece.2021.01.014},
  url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1749772821000142},
  author = {Sofia {Garcia Fracaro} and Philippe Chan and Timothy Gallagher and Yusra Tehreem and Ryo Toyoda and Bernaerts Kristel and Glassey Jarka and Thies Pfeiffer and Bert Slof and Sven Wachsmuth and Michael Wilk},
  keywords = {Virtual Reality, Chemical industry, Operator training, Learning analytics, Gamebased learning, assessment},
  abstract = {Operator training in the chemical industry is important because of the potentially hazardous nature of procedures and the way operators' mistakes can have serious consequences on process operation and safety. Currently, operator training is facing some challenges, such as high costs, safety limitations and time constraints. Also, there have been some indications of a lack of engagement of employees during mandatory training. Immersive technologies can provide solutions to these challenges. Specifically, virtual reality (VR) has the potential to improve the way chemical operators experience training sessions, increasing motivation, virtually exposing operators to unsafe situations, and reducing classroom training time. In this paper, we present research being conducted to develop a virtual reality training solution as part of the EU Horizon 2020 CHARMING Project, a project focusing on the education of current and future chemical industry stakeholders. This paper includes the design principles for a virtual reality training environment including the features that enhance the effectiveness of virtual reality training such as game-based learning elements, learning analytics, and assessment methods. This work can assist those interested in exploring the potential of virtual reality training environments in the chemical industry from a multidisciplinary perspective.}
  }

• Y. Tehreem and T. Pfeiffer, “Immersive Virtual Reality Training for the Operation of Chemical Reactors,” in DELFI 2020 – Die 18. Fachtagung Bildungstechnologien der Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V., Bonn, 2020, pp. 359-360.
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  This paper discusses virtual reality (VR) training for chemical operators on hazardous or costly operations of chemical plants. To this end, a prototypical training scenario is developed which will be deployed to industrial partners and evaluated regarding efficiency and effectiveness. In this paper, the current version of the prototype is presented, that allows life-sized trainings in a virtual simulation of a chemical reactor. Building up on this prototype scenario, means for measuring performance, providing feedback, and guiding users through VR-based trainings are explored and evaluated, targeting at an optimized transfer of knowledge from virtual to real world. This work is embedded in the Marie-Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network CHARMING3, in which 15 PhD candidates from six European countries are cooperating.

  @inproceedings{tehreem2020immersive,
  author = {Tehreem, Yusra AND Pfeiffer, Thies},
  title = {Immersive Virtual Reality Training for the Operation of Chemical Reactors},
  booktitle = {DELFI 2020 – Die 18. Fachtagung Bildungstechnologien der Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V.},
  year = {2020},
  editor = {Zender, Raphael AND Ifenthaler, Dirk AND Leonhardt, Thiemo AND Schumacher, Clara},
  pages = { 359-360 },
  publisher = {Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V.},
  address = {Bonn},
  url = {https://dl.gi.de/bitstream/handle/20.500.12116/34186/359%20DELFI2020_paper_81.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y},
  abstract = {This paper discusses virtual reality (VR) training for chemical operators on hazardous or costly operations of chemical plants. To this end, a prototypical training scenario is developed which will be deployed to industrial partners and evaluated regarding efficiency and effectiveness. In this paper, the current version of the prototype is presented, that allows life-sized trainings in a virtual simulation of a chemical reactor. Building up on this prototype scenario, means for measuring performance, providing feedback, and guiding users through VR-based trainings are explored and evaluated, targeting at an optimized transfer of knowledge from virtual to real world. This work is embedded in the Marie-Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network CHARMING3, in which 15 PhD candidates from six European countries are cooperating.}
  }