[Paper Review] "Seeing the Faces Is So Important" -- Experiences From Online Team Meetings on Commercial Virtual Reality Platforms

Michael Bonfert, Anke V. Reinschluessel+5 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Oct 12, 2022

Team Dynamics and Performance4 citations

TL;DR

This study evaluates the effectiveness of commercial virtual reality (VR) platforms for remote team meetings by comparing 12 weekly lab meetings across five platforms—three VR (AltspaceVR, Engage, Gather Town) and two video conferencing tools (Zoom, StarLeaf). Using mixed-methods data from 32 participants, it finds that VR enhances co-presence and emotional expression but requires intentional meeting design to overcome technical and social challenges, with long-term platform choice driven by user experience and adaptability rather than technology alone.

ABSTRACT

During the Covid-19 pandemic, online meetings became common for daily teamwork in the home office. To understand the opportunities and challenges of meeting in virtual reality (VR) compared to video conferences, we conducted the weekly team meetings of our human-computer interaction research lab on five off-the-shelf online meeting platforms over four months. After each of the 12 meetings, we asked the participants (N = 32) to share their experiences, resulting in 200 completed online questionnaires. We evaluated the ratings of the overall meeting experience and conducted an exploratory factor analysis of the quantitative data to compare VR meetings and video calls in terms of meeting involvement and co-presence. In addition, a thematic analysis of the qualitative data revealed genuine insights covering five themes: spatial aspects, meeting atmosphere, expression of emotions, meeting productivity, and user needs. We reflect on our findings gained under authentic working conditions, derive lessons learned for running successful team meetings in VR supporting different kinds of meeting formats, and discuss the team's long-term platform choice.

Motivation & Objective

• To investigate how commercial virtual reality (VR) platforms compare to video conferencing in supporting remote team meetings under authentic working conditions.
• To understand the experiences, preferences, and challenges of team members using different platforms over an extended period.
• To identify design principles and platform-specific adaptations that enhance meeting involvement, co-presence, and productivity in VR.
• To inform future development of social VR platforms by deriving lessons learned from real-world usage in a research lab setting.

Proposed method

• Conducted 12 weekly team meetings over four months, rotating among five platforms: two VR platforms (AltspaceVR, Engage), one hybrid spatial platform (Gather Town), and two video conferencing tools (Zoom, StarLeaf).
• Collected post-meeting feedback via online questionnaires after each session, resulting in 200 completed responses from 32 participants.
• Performed quantitative analysis using exploratory factor analysis to compare perceived meeting involvement and co-presence across platforms.
• Conducted thematic analysis on qualitative feedback to identify recurring themes such as spatial aspects, emotional expression, and meeting productivity.
• Integrated autoethnographic reflections from the research team to provide first-hand insights into platform usability and meeting dynamics.
• Used a mixed-methods approach combining survey ratings, thematic coding, and longitudinal observation to evaluate platform performance and user experience.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 How do participants rate the overall experience of team meetings on VR platforms compared to video conferencing platforms?
• RQ2 What are the key differences in perceived co-presence and meeting involvement between VR and video conferencing platforms?
• RQ3 How do spatial features and social dynamics in VR platforms affect meeting productivity and emotional expression?
• RQ4 What design adaptations are necessary to make VR meetings effective for regular team collaboration?
• RQ5 What factors influence long-term platform choice for remote team meetings in VR?

Key findings

• Participants reported significantly higher levels of co-presence and meeting involvement in VR platforms compared to video conferencing, particularly in AltspaceVR and Engage.
• The ability to see facial expressions and nonverbal cues in VR was consistently cited as the most valued feature, with participants stating 'Seeing the faces is so important.'
• Spatial features such as movement, positioning, and group formation (e.g., circles, queues) enhanced social interaction and reduced meeting fatigue compared to flat video calls.
• Meeting productivity was higher in VR when formats were adapted to leverage spatial interaction—such as using gestures, gaze direction, and movement to manage turn-taking.
• Participants struggled with technical limitations in VR, including motion sickness, audio issues, and lack of intuitive controls, which reduced engagement during longer meetings.
• The team ultimately chose Engage as their long-term platform due to better support for group dynamics, customization, and stability, despite initial usability challenges.