903 VR and AR for Behavior Change
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Thursday, June 28
California
If you got the chance to walk around experiencing the world as a retired person, would that change your financial planning in the present? If you got to have firsthand experience of being a patient, could that change how you treat patients? If you were able to experience the results of a major safety catastrophe, would that make you safer in your daily work life?
This session will look at different examples from the ongoing research into using immersive learning environments to address difficult behavior change problems. Several intriguing studies suggest that having a visceral experience may be a powerful tool for behavior change.
In this session, you will learn:
- About research efforts to use VR and AR for behavior change
- About the limitations of these efforts, and what to be cautious of
- About examples of ways to use VR for behavior change
- About models for behavior change that apply to visceral experience
Audience:
Designers and managers.
Technology discussed in this session:
Virtual reality and augmented reality platforms that specifically target behavior change.

Julie Dirksen
Learning Strategist
Usable Learning
Julie Dirksen, a learning strategist with Usable Learning, is a consultant and instructional designer with more than 15 years' experience creating highly interactive eLearning experiences for clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to technology startups to grant-funded research initiatives. She's interested in using neuroscience, change management, and persuasive technology to promote sustainable long-term learning and behavior change. Her MS degree in instructional systems technology is from Indiana University, and she's been an adjunct faculty member at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. She is the author of Design For How People Learn.

Dustin DiTommaso
SVP, Behavior Change Design
Mad*Pow
Dustin DiTommaso is a senior vice president of behavior change design at Mad*Pow. A designer and researcher, Dustin’s work involves the study and application of behavioral science, motivational psychology, and human-computer interaction to the design of technology-assisted behavior change interventions, products, and services. His client portfolio includes partnerships with a range of innovative startups, nonprofits, government agencies, and Fortune 500 companies across domains including healthcare, financial services, education, and social impact. Dustin is a founding member of the US Behavioral Science and Policy Association and sits on the Scientific Committee at University College London’s Centre for Behavior Change.