Virtual Reality Simulation Play Tester

Overview

The Department of Psychology at Utah State University is seeking an hourly Virtual Reality Simulation Play Tester to support the development and evaluation of an immersive virtual reality simulation designed for behavioral and educational training. The Play Tester will systematically interact with simulation environments, evaluate usability and functionality, identify technical and design issues, and provide structured feedback to inform iterative development.

The position is anticipated to average approximately 5 hours per week during the academic year and up to 10 hours per week during the summer, with approximately 400 total hours anticipated.

Responsibilities

• Conducting repeated play-testing sessions across VR simulation scenarios and builds.
• Identifying bugs, usability issues, inconsistencies, and opportunities to improve the user experience.
• Evaluating the realism and educational relevance of simulated classroom and behavioral interactions.
• Providing detailed verbal and written feedback to the research and development team.
• Testing revisions and documenting whether identified issues have been resolved.
• Contributing practitioner-informed feedback regarding behavioral principles, classroom implementation, and training utility.
• Participating in periodic meetings with the project team to review findings and prioritize improvements.

Qualifications

• Professional experience in K–12 education, preferably special education.
• Training or experience in applied behavior analysis and behavioral intervention.
• Strong familiarity with video games and interactive or immersive technologies.
• Experience with VR hardware and simulation-based environments.
• Prior experience conducting structured play testing or providing iterative feedback on educational technology.
• Ability to identify, document, and clearly communicate technical, usability, and content-related issues.

Required Documents

Along with the online application, please attach:

• Resume/CV to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under “Resume/CV”
• Cover Letter to be typed/pasted at the end of your application