Immersive Problem-Solving: A Virtual Escape Room Framework for Developing Soft Skills
This paper presents the conceptual design of an immersive virtual escape-room system for training a broad range of soft skills, including teamwork, communication, collaborative problem-solving, time management, leadership, adaptability, situational awareness, and decision-making under pressure. The system consists of two integrated components: (1) a multi-user VR environment in which participants must coordinate actions and solve interdependent tasks under time constraints, and (2) a moderator interface enabling real-time supervision, scenario control, performance annotation, and structured debriefing. The design followed an iterative, user-centered methodology involving requirements analysis, definition of learning outcomes, narrative and puzzle design, interaction prototyping, and preliminary pilot testing with student teams. Early observations suggest that the VR environment elicits authentic teamwork behaviors, supports high engagement, and provides a psychologically safe and repeatable training context. Future work will include empirical evaluation of learning effectiveness across specific soft-skill domains, refinement of facilitator workflows, and integration of behavioral analytics for semi-automated performance assessment.