Ineke van der Ham

Ineke van der Ham is a professor of Technological Innovations in Neuropsychology at the department of Health, Medical, and Neuropsychology. She specialises in spatial cognition in real and immersive environments, combining fundamental neurocognitive and applied clinical research.

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VR and AR technology is developing at a mind-boggling speed and are increasingly used as learning tools. But how do we really learn in virtual worlds? And what can we do to enhance cognitive performance in a virtual world? It is very important to realise that people can differ a lot in how they experience and perceive such digital environments. There are initial studies that show the power of avatar identities for learning, and we could even consider using VR as a ‘cognitive placebo’ in rehabilitation for people who have experienced brain damage. In this lecture we will discuss the latest scientific breakthroughs in this domain.